ICEF2026 brings government, industry and knowledge
institutions together as India prepares for a new era of resource-efficient and
globally competitive value chains
New Delhi, 20 August 2026
: As global markets increasingly begin to measure competitiveness not only by price and scale, but also by resource efficiency, traceability, environmental performance and resilience, the conversation around circular economy in India is steadily moving from aspiration to business strategy. That transition formed the backdrop to the opening of the India Circular Economy Forum 2026 (ICEF2026) at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, where representatives from government, industry, research institutions and civil society came together to explore how circularity could shape the next phase of India’s industrial growth.
Hosted by the International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE), the two-day Forum is being held around the theme “Harmonizing Value Chains: The New India–EU Trade Era” — reflecting a moment when international trade, sustainability requirements and industrial competitiveness are becoming increasingly interconnected.
The inaugural gathering was graced by senior representatives from Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is associated with the Forum as a partner ministry.The presence of multiple arms of government alongside businesses and knowledge institutions reflected the cross-sectoral nature of the transition itself. Circular economy is no longer confined to the environmental discourse; it increasingly intersects with manufacturing, exports, technology, jobs, materials security and the ability of Indian businesses to participate in evolving global value chains.This context is particularly relevant as India and Europe enter a period of deeper economic engagement. For Indian enterprises, emerging market expectations around product durability, material use, environmental compliance, traceability and responsible supply chains are beginning to influence how competitiveness itself is understood.
ICEF2026 placed these questions within a practical industry context. Across Day 1, conversations moved through four sectors and themes that illustrate the breadth of the transition. The session on “Circular Electronics: Designing India’s Next Manufacturing Advantage” explored the opportunity to integrate circular thinking into one of India’s fastest-growing manufacturing sectors. Discussions considered the relationship between product design, material recovery, resource efficiency and the longer-term competitiveness of India’s electronics ecosystem. For a sector deeply connected with global markets, “Circular Textiles: Competing in the New India–EU Value Chain” examined how Indian textile businesses could respond to changing expectations around materials, production systems, traceability and circular design while retaining the strengths of one of India’s most important employment and export sectors.
A third conversation, “Jobs, Skills, and the Circular Economy Workforce: Managing Transitions at Scale,” brought another dimension into focus: the transition will ultimately depend on people. As repair, reuse, remanufacturing, recovery and circular services grow, new capabilities and occupational pathways will be required across the economy. The discussion on “From Food Loss to Circular Value: Building Resilient Food Systems” extended the circular economy conversation beyond manufacturing, looking at how reduced resource loss, better utilisation of materials and innovative value-creation models could contribute to more resilient food systems. Together, the discussions illustrated a broader shift—from treating circularity primarily as an end-of-life or waste-management issue to examining how value can be retained across the entire lifecycle of products and materials.
That shift was also visible in the diversity of participation at the Forum. More than 50 companies were represented, alongside leading civil society organisations, research organisations and think tanks from across the country. Organisations working across climate, resources, sustainability, waste, policy and industrial transitions added to the dialogue, creating an unusual intersection of perspectives that are often discussed separately. For businesses, this convergence is increasingly important. Decisions about materials, design, procurement, supply chains, compliance, and recovery increasingly connect to questions of market access and long-term competitiveness. For policymakers, the same transition raises questions around enabling frameworks, standards, skills, innovation and industrial preparedness. ICEF has sought to create a space where these conversations can meet.
The timing of the 2026 edition also gives the Forum a wider significance. ICEF2026 serves as a precursor to the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 (WCEF2026), which will take place in Gandhinagar from 15–18 September. The global gathering will bring the international circular economy community to India, placing the country’s transition — and its potential to shape circular pathways relevant to the Global South — firmly within the international conversation. In that sense, the discussions in New Delhi are part of something larger. They offer an opportunity to bring the experiences, concerns and ambitions of Indian businesses and institutions into the conversations that will continue in Gandhinagar in September, while also asking a more immediate question at home: how can circularity become an enabler of growth rather than simply a response to environmental pressure?
The first day of ICEF2026 suggested that the answer may lie less in isolated initiatives and more in the alignment of policy, enterprise, technology, knowledge and markets. The Forum continues on 21 August, with international and business engagement, including an India–Finland circular economy interface, alongside the ACE Awards, which recognise initiatives that advance circular economy practices across enterprises, institutions and communities.