SIAM Organizes 2nd Edition of International Conference on Sustainable Circularity (ICSC)
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) under its Circularity initiative, has organized the 2nd edition of International Conference on Sustainable Circularity (ICSC), themed ‘Towards Nature Positive Pathway: Embracing Circular Economies with Low Carbon Strategies’ on the last day of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), a national entity, is focused to represent major vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in India. Operating as a registered society with philanthropic goals under the Societies Registration Act 1860, SIAM is on a mission to enhance the role of the automobile industry in the Indian economy’s growth and development.
The organization is committed to advancing environmental goals, encompassing initiatives for global warming mitigation, pollution control, and ensuring the safety of both automobile users and the public at large. Acknowledging these pivotal objectives, SIAM has achieved official recognition under the Income Tax Act 1961 as an institution with a charitable purpose.
The conference aimed at advancing the circular economy in India’s automotive sector brought together industry stakeholders and high-level government representatives. The event began with the Hon’ble Chief Guest, Arvind Nautiyal, Joint Secretary & Member Secretary, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), introducing the Context Paper titled “Gas Based Mobility: Fuelling India’s Economy.” This paper focuses on Compressed Biogas (CBG), a sustainable vehicular fuel derived from recycling biomass/waste.
The inaugural session, themed ‘Vision for Fostering Nature Positive Circularity Principles in Automotive Sector: Policy & Regulatory Framework,’ featured Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, expressing the organization’s dedication to reducing the auto industry’s carbon footprint. He emphasized SIAM’s commitment to contributing to India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 through the चक्रीयता (Circularity) initiative.
Arvind Nautiyal, honorable Chief Guest, stressed the importance of phasing out old vehicles, incentives for scrapping, and effective hazardous waste management in material circularity policies. Sharath Kumar Pallerla, Advisor, MoEF&CC, highlighted India’s unique circularity ingrained in its culture but urged increased efforts to embrace circularity principles.
Ashish Chutani, Head Government Affairs & Relationships, Maruti Suzuki, emphasized the success of India’s sustainable mobility vision hinging on three pivotal strategies: Scrappage, Circularity, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Sanjay Mehta, President, MRAI, emphasized the 6Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, and remanufacture—essential for creating a circular economy.
Technical Session 1, chaired by Bharat Sharma, CPCB, focused on the critical role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling. Sajiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, emphasized thoughtful consumption for sustainability goals, while Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner & Group Head, NRI Consulting & Solutions, highlighted the automotive sector’s swift adoption of recycling practices.
Technical Session 2, chaired by V K Misra, ITTAC, focused on the power of the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle (3Rs) Principle in the automotive sector. The session included presentations on sustainable critical minerals, ELV handling & management policies, material recycling technologies, and best practices for recycling used oil.
Technical Session 3, chaired by Manish Mathur, Kearney, discussed innovative ELV recycling for sustainability, featuring presentations on circular economy operationalization, sustainable materials recovery from ELVs, and challenges/solutions for implementing EPR in the auto industry. The event facilitated a rich exchange of ideas, best practices, and strategies, culminating in a high note of success. Additionally, SIAM created a Circularity Pavilion at the expo to further highlight the importance of circular practices in the automotive industry,
