Apple to invest Rs 100 crore in India renewable energy expansion

Smartphone maker Apple on Thursday announced an 'initial investment' of Rs 100 crore towards building renewable energy in India, under which the company will develop more than 150 MW of green energy capacity.

Under its initiative to expand renewable energy infrastructure, reduce plastic pollution, and foster green entrepreneurship in India, Apple has partnered with renewable energy developer CleanMax to support the drive.

“At Apple, our commitment to the environment is also a driving force for innovation — across the company and around the world,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s vice president of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation. “We’re proud to expand our efforts to invest in India’s clean energy economy and protect the country’s precious natural resources.”


Also read: One in four smartphones made in India comes from homegrown manufacturers as exports power growth

The company has charted its sustainable development commitments into three categories.

Renewable energy infrastructure

iPhone maker Apple is expanding its green energy investments in India along with CleanMax with an initial invetsment of Rs 100 crore to support the development of more than 150 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity.

The energy, as Apple said, "is enough to power an average 150,000 Indian households each year — with opportunity to further expand in the coming years."

With this, the US-based company aims to advance its efforts to scale renewable energy across its supply chain in India.

Apple had previously collaborated with CleanMax on a portfolio of rooftop solar projects to help power its offices and retail stores in India with 100 per cent renewable energy.

Reducing Plastic Pollution

Apple has collaborated with WWF-India, a conservation organisation to support recovery-focused recycling and waste management initiatives that prioritise environmental and social safeguards.

The company has deployed the model of WWF-India’s collaboration with waste-management pioneer Saahas Zero Waste in Goa to establish facilities that collect, sort, and recover recyclable materials with full traceability. This would prevent plastic leakage into the surrounding ecosystems.

"With Apple’s support, WWF-India is now expanding this system-strengthening approach to new regions, including in Coimbatore, in close collaboration with local authorities, communities, and waste workers," the company said in a release.

Green Entrepreneurship

Under its green initiatives, Apple is supporting early-stage entrepreneurs through a new partnership with Acumen.

Under the program, Apple provides catalytic grants to six green enterprises developing solutions across waste management, circular economy and consumption, and regenerative agriculture and livelihoods.

The Apple-Acumen program provides mentorship, strategic guidance, technical assistance, and network access to social entrepreneurs.

Overall, the tech giant has reduced its global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 per cent compared to 2015 levels, even as its revenue increased by 78 per cent during the same period. With the new initiatives, Apple is trying to move closer to its goal of becoming carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030.