Low-to-medium temperature process heat represents a tractable near-term decarbonisation opportunity that policy frameworks have underemphasised relative to green hydrogen and carbon capture.

Q. Low-to-medium temperature process heat represents a tractable near-term decarbonisation opportunity that policy frameworks have underemphasised relative to green hydrogen and carbon capture. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Process heat below ~200°C — used in textiles, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and paper — is today met largely by coal, furnace oil and pet coke in India's MSMEs [4]. Unlike steel or cement, this band needs no exotic fuel: commercially mature industrial heat pumps and biomass boilers can serve it now, making it India's most tractable industrial decarbonisation frontier.

Why the opportunity is tractable - Technological readiness: heat pumps already deliver 140–160°C and are three to five times more efficient than gas boilers; paper, food and chemicals can meet nearly 30% of combined heating needs through them [3]. - Economic logic: falling renewable tariffs plus recovery of waste heat convert electrification into an operating-cost saving, not merely a compliance cost [1]. - Co-benefits: combustion boilers in clusters like Tiruppur and Surat emit SO₂, NOx and particulates; electrification removes them at source, aiding NCAP goals and worker health. - Scale: MSMEs supply about a third of manufacturing output [4]; NITI Aayog estimates green electricity and cleaner fuels alone could abate 30–35 MtCO₂ over a decade [2].

Why policy has underemphasised it - Flagship instruments — the National Green Hydrogen Mission and CCUS research — target hard-to-abate, high-temperature sectors; NITI Aayog's net-zero scenario itself projects green hydrogen chiefly for steel, refineries and fertilisers [1]. - No dedicated incentive or PLI exists for industrial heat pumps, which remain largely imported. - PAT and BEE norms cover large designated consumers, leaving dispersed MSMEs outside the efficiency net; thin margins and weak green-finance access compound this [2].

A balanced view: hydrogen and CCUS remain indispensable for >1000°C processes — the case is for sequencing, not substitution.

Cleaning low-temperature heat is therefore the low-hanging fruit of India's net-zero pathway. Extending the MSME green transition roadmap into cluster-level electrification support, concessional SIDBI/NABARD credit, CCTS-linked crediting and domestic heat-pump manufacturing would deliver early, verifiable abatement while strengthening competitiveness under Viksit Bharat 2047.

(~325 words)

Sources: 1. Scenarios Towards Viksit Bharat and Net Zero — Sectoral Insights: Industry, NITI Aayog (Feb 2026) — industrial electrification and waste-heat pathways; green hydrogen targeted at steel, refineries and fertilisers 2. Roadmap for Green Transition of MSMEs, NITI Aayog (Jan 2026) — three levers (efficient equipment, alternative fuels, green electricity), 30–35 MtCO₂ abatement potential, MSME finance and access gaps 3. The Future of Heat Pumps — Executive Summary, IEA — heat pumps up to 140–160°C, 3–5× boiler efficiency, ~30% of paper/food/chemicals heating needs 4. Bioenergy to Play Pivotal Role in Decarbonising MSMEs — PIB, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy — MSME reliance on coal, furnace oil and pet coke for steam; ~one-third share of manufacturing output