India’s journey towards a climate-resilient, low-carbon development future presents a major economic and investment opportunity. Nowhere is this more urgent than in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), a climate-vulnerable landscape that is also a source of critical ecosystem services, livelihoods, and urban growth. Over the last decade, the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS), a scheme under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC), has supported more than 230 projects in IHR.

MOEF&CC, Government of India in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is organising Him-CONNECT, a 2-day event in conjunction with the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) to be held in Delhi from 25-27 February 2026. The objective of Him-CONNECT is to display technologies, pilots and innovations that have been developed under the National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS) to start-ups and investors, so that these technologies can be upscaled/ commercialised. Him-CONNECT will also provide a platform for interaction among start-ups, industry partners, investors, and other stakeholders, and facilitate potential collaborations for applications of these developed technologies/ pilots to the greater Himalayan region. Him-CONNECT is envisioned as a landmark initiative to bridge the critical gap between scientific research and market-ready solutions in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR).

NMHS has supported pioneering research, yielding a wealth of technologies, patents, prototypes, and innovative models addressing the pressing challenges of the Himalayas such as water security, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and waste management.

The technologies/pilots that will be showcased during Him-CONNECT focus on eight areas:

1. Waste to wealth
2. Climate-resilient infrastructure development
3. Innovative water management/ treatment technologies
4. Agri-innovations
5. Innovations in processing techniques
6. Sustainable utilisation of bio-resources
7. Dairying innovations; and
8. Harnessing green energy

Him-CONNECT will bring together a strong cohort of 30 organisations and initiatives whose work spans research, innovation, community practice, and development partnerships across the Himalayan and North-Eastern regions.

The climate-tech and innovation showcase will be anchored by leading universities and institutes, including the Indian Institutes of Technology at Mandi, Guwahati, Ropar, Roorkee, Jammu, and Jodhpur; National Institute of Technology campuses at Silchar and Yupia; Kumaun University; the University of Kashmir; North-Eastern Hill University; and Central Agricultural University, Imphal. These will be joined by specialised national research and knowledge institutions such as CSIR–Central Road Research Institute, CSIR–Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), collectively highlighting cutting-edge research, technology development, and policy-relevant innovation for sustainable mountain development.

Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) centres—including HIMCOSTE, the Forest Research Institute (FRI), and centres from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand—will also have dedicated displays. In addition, projects supported under the Small Grants Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be featured as part of the exhibition.

Lab-to-market technology linkages will be promoted through specially curated interactions among start-ups, investors, and policymakers with participating innovators. These interactions will be facilitated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), TERI, and Summit partners such as AndPurpose and Climate Collective.