India's green IT & sustainability spend to touch $29.2 bn: Gartner

NEW DELHI: India's spending on green IT and sustainability initiatives will rise nearly 18 per cent to $ 29.2 billion this year, research firm Gartner said today.

As businesses and investors in India are slowly waking up to green and sustainability issues, government policymakers are pushing for changes that will probably set the tone for sustainable, low-carbon economic growth in the country in the coming years, Gartner's 'Hype Cycle for Green IT and Sustainability in India, 2013' report said.

The country's spending on green IT and sustainability initiatives will reach $29.2 billion in 2013, a 17.6 per cent increase from $ 24.8 billion that was spent in 2012, the report said.

"Many Indian organisations still lack the strategic focus that comes with a clear understanding of the core issues and key technologies that bring about real change in the vision for sustainability and green IT in an organisation," Gartner Research Director Ganesh Ramamoorthy said.

Government's policy initiatives and regulatory measures will be key drivers for implementation of technologies like advanced metering infrastructure, intelligent transportation system, carbon capture and sequestration and solar energy to usher in low-carbon sustainable growth, he added.

The unique challenges faced by India, like unreliable power infrastructure, growing urban-rural divide and rising population migration to urban areas, will provide businesses there with opportunity to innovate and test new cost-effective approaches and green technology solutions, Ramamoorthy said.