India’s steel industry is at a pivotal moment. As the world’s second-largest crude steel producer, India plans to expand production capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030-31. Steel will be central to the country’s infrastructure, housing, renewable energy and manufacturing ambitions. But the sector is also one of India’s biggest climate challenges.

Unlike the power sector, steel cannot be decarbonised simply by switching to renewable electricity. Its production relies on high-temperature processes and chemical reactions that still depend largely on coal. According to India’s draft National Steel Policy 2025, cited by Reuters, the steel sector contributes 10–12% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Producing one tonne of finished steel emits 2.65 tonnes of CO₂, well above the global average of 2 tonnes.

A recent analysis by climate-tech think tank TransitionZero suggests the solution may lie in rethinking how clean energy is used. Rather than viewing renewable electricity and green hydrogen as separate technologies, the study explores whether integrating the two could make steel production cleaner without substantially increasing costs.

The challenge of Replacing Coal

Much of the push to decarbonise steel has centred on green hydrogen, which can replace coal or natural gas in direct reduced iron (DRI) production. Recognising its potential, India launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, targeting 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

However, green hydrogen remains costly because its production requires large amounts of renewable electricity. A 2021 study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that steel produced entirely with green hydrogen is unlikely to become commercially competitive before 2040 unless production costs fall significantly. The challenge, therefore, is not just developing cleaner fuels, but using clean energy more efficiently.

Steel Industry: Rethinking How Clean Energy is Used

Solar and wind farms generate electricity for the grid, while hydrogen producers source renewable power independently. TransitionZero argues that this approach overlooks a significant opportunity for steel industry. The researchers simulated how India’s projected electricity grid would operate in 2030, analysing every hour of the year to identify when surplus renewable electricity could be used to produce green hydrogen instead of being wasted. 

Solar power generation often exceeds demand during the day, leaving the grid unable to absorb all the electricity produced. Instead of curtailing this surplus renewable energy, the report proposes using it to power electrolysers that produce green hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be stored and used in steel production when renewable electricity is less abundant.

According to the analysis, this integrated approach could reduce renewable energy curtailment by up to 90 per cent while increasing steel production costs by only around 3 per cent. Steel plants sourcing 70 per cent carbon-free electricity every hour and replacing 20 per cent of natural gas with green hydrogen could significantly cut emissions without substantially raising costs. The findings suggest that better coordination between renewable electricity and hydrogen may be as important as the technologies themselves.

Building on Evidence

The idea of combining multiple technologies to decarbonise steel industry is not new. The International Energy Agency identifies hydrogen-based direct reduced iron, electric arc furnaces, steel recycling and energy efficiency as key pathways to achieving net-zero steel production. Similarly, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has argued that India should prioritise expanding renewable electricity while gradually introducing green hydrogen as costs become more competitive.

TransitionZero builds on these recommendations by focusing on how these technologies can work together. Rather than treating renewable electricity and green hydrogen as separate solutions, the study shows that integrating them can improve energy use, reduce costs and lower emissions. The findings underscore a broader shift in industrial decarbonisation—from adopting cleaner technologies to designing smarter, more integrated energy systems should be used in steel industry.

A Question of Competitiveness, Not Just Climate

Although India consumes most of the steel it produces domestically, exporters are preparing for stricter environmental standards in international markets. The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will gradually impose carbon costs on imported steel and other emissions-intensive products, could increase costs for producers with high carbon footprints.

Reducing emissions is therefore no longer solely about meeting climate targets. It is increasingly linked to maintaining access to export markets and improving industrial competitiveness.

Indian steelmakers have already begun responding. Companies including Tata Steel, JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India are investing in renewable energy, exploring hydrogen-based technologies and testing lower-carbon production processes. These projects remain at an early stage, but they indicate that the steel industry’s transition has already begun.

Planning the Transition Of Technology

India has no shortage of technologies capable of reducing emissions from steel production. Renewable electricity is expanding rapidly, hydrogen technologies are maturing and electric arc furnaces are becoming more efficient. The greater challenge lies in connecting these pieces into a coherent industrial strategy.

As India’s steel industry moves towards its 300-million-tonne ambition, success will depend less on efficiently designing energy systems that work together. Cleaner steel industry may ultimately depend not on one revolutionary technology, but on rethinking how India’s energy and industrial systems operate together.

A coalition of Nobel laureates, artificial intelligence researchers, religious leaders and public figures has called for an international treaty to prevent Artificial Intelligence from controlling nuclear weapons, warning that decisions affecting millions of lives should never be left to autonomous systems.

The appeal comes through the Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peace, signed on July 16. At a time when militaries are rapidly adopting Artificial Intelligence for surveillance, intelligence and battlefield operations, the signatories say international rules have failed to keep pace with technological advances. They want governments to draw a clear line by prohibiting Artificial Intelligence from making the final decision on the use of nuclear weapons.

Concerns Over Faster Decisions

The declaration warns that Artificial Intelligence could dramatically shorten the time available for leaders to assess threats during a nuclear crisis. If computer systems analyse incoming data and recommend a response within seconds, decision-makers may have little opportunity to verify information, consult advisers or pursue diplomacy before acting.

Its authors point to historical incidents such as the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm, where human judgement and restraint prevented escalation. They argue that replacing this layer of caution with automated systems could increase the risk of unintended conflict, especially as current AI models remain vulnerable to errors, manipulated data and opaque decision-making.

Call for Global Rules

Along with keeping humans in charge of nuclear decisions, the declaration recommends independent security audits of nuclear command systems to protect them from AI-enabled cyberattacks. It also urges Artificial Intelligence developers to disclose the ethical safeguards built into their models and renews calls for international negotiations on nuclear disarmament. The declaration is not legally binding, and countries remain divided over regulating AI in military applications. Even so, its signatories hope it will build support for global rules before advances in Artificial Intelligence outstrip the international mechanisms meant to govern them.

The Karnataka AI curriculum marks a major shift in school education, making the state one of the first in India to allow students to choose Artificial Intelligence (AI) instead of a third language. From the 2026–27 academic year, students in Classes 9 and 10 across 1,642 government high schools can opt for AI as a vocational subject under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). The move positions Karnataka at the forefront of efforts to integrate emerging technologies into mainstream school education while redefining how future-ready skills are taught.

The Karnataka AI curriculum reflects a growing push to equip students with skills needed in an economy increasingly shaped by automation and digital technologies. While several states have introduced AI in classrooms, Karnataka has taken a different approach by integrating it into the curriculum as an alternative to the third language.

Karnataka AI Curriculum Focuses on Future Skills

According to the School Education and Literacy Department, AI will be introduced in schools offering NSQF vocational courses. It will replace the existing vocational subject and serve as an alternative to the third language. Each participating school will appoint a guest AI instructor, while third-language teachers will be redeployed to schools facing vacancies.

The curriculum is expected to introduce students to AI fundamentals, computational thinking, problem-solving and the responsible use of emerging technologies. Officials say the initiative is intended to prepare students for higher education and careers in technology-driven sectors.

The move also follows Karnataka’s earlier decision to exclude third-language marks from the SSLC aggregate, signalling a gradual shift towards skill-based learning.

How Other States Are Introducing AI

The Karnataka AI curriculum stands apart from initiatives in other states, where AI has largely been added to the existing syllabus rather than replacing a language subject.

Tamil Nadu’s TN SPARK programme, for example, introduces AI, robotics, coding and digital tools to students in selected government schools. However, these subjects complement the existing curriculum instead of substituting any language requirement.

Similarly, the Ministry of Education has proposed integrating AI and computational thinking into school education through the National Curriculum Framework. The focus is on building AI literacy alongside core academic subjects.

CBSE has also expanded AI education in affiliated schools while continuing to follow the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, although the third language is not part of the Class 10 board examination.

A Shift in Education Priorities

The Karnataka AI curriculum reflects a broader debate on how schools should prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

Supporters believe early exposure to AI can improve digital literacy, encourage innovation and better prepare students for future careers. As AI increasingly influences industries ranging from healthcare to manufacturing, familiarity with the technology is becoming a valuable skill beyond the information technology sector.

However, language educators argue that multilingual education plays an important role in cognitive development, communication skills and preserving India’s linguistic diversity. Teacher associations have also expressed concerns over the redeployment of language teachers and the long-term impact on third-language learning.

Can Karnataka’s AI Curriculum Become a Model?

The success of the Karnataka AI curriculum will depend on more than policy changes. Schools will need trained teachers, adequate digital infrastructure, computer laboratories and reliable internet connectivity to deliver meaningful AI education.

The initiative also raises an important question for education policymakers across India: should emerging technologies be integrated into existing curricula, or should they replace traditional subjects to make room for future-ready skills?

As other states continue experimenting with AI education, Karnataka’s model will be closely watched. If implemented effectively, the Karnataka AI curriculum could shape how schools across the country balance technological innovation with foundational learning.