About CSTEP

CSTEP expanded its Rooftop Solar Explorer (RTSE) platform to the state of Chhattisgarh, accelerating rooftop solar adoption.

CSTEP established an air pollution lab at its Bengaluru office to test and calibrate low-cost air quality sensors, advancing in-house air quality monitoring capacity. Its certification as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SiRO) was renewed. CSTEP developed an energy transition roadmap for the state of Kerala to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It launched the Rooftop Solar Explorer (RTSE) tool in multiple cities across Madhya Pradesh. The Earth Initiative was launched to integrate art into climate communication, making climate messages more accessible to the public.

CSTEP was recognised as one of the Top 20 Best Public Policy Companies in India by Inventiva, a leading business magazine. It was appointed to the Technical Advisory Committee of Experts under the MoEFCC. CSTEP joined the core working group for drafting the Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change. It also became a member of the BESCOM Rooftop Solar Committee, furthering its work in solar energy deployment. CSTEP submitted the Karnataka Power Sector Roadmap 2032 to the Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL).

CSTEP was invited by NITI Aayog to contribute to discussions on reviving India’s economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. It became a member of the India Climate and Energy Modelling Forum, constituted by NITI Aayog to strengthen evidence-based climate and energy planning. CSTEP was appointed to the task force created by the Chief Minister of Karnataka for drafting the Research, Development, and Innovation Policy for the state. Its SAFARI model was used by NITI Aayog to project ethanol demand scenarios for the ‘Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India (2020–2025)’ and the ‘Vision 2035’ document. It also signed an MoU with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and BBMP to implement the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in Bengaluru. CSTEP’s pilot study on solar PV integration for BESCOM won a SKOCH Silver Award in the Technology category.

CSTEP was recognised as an Institute of Repute by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for its contributions to improving air quality in Bengaluru. It launched the CSTEP Rooftop Evaluation for Solar Tool (CREST) to help Bengaluru residents and electricity distribution companies identify rooftops suitable for solar energy installations. CSTEP developed SiteRight, a decision-support tool designed to identify low-impact locations for renewable energy projects. The Government of Karnataka formally adopted SNEHA to monitor 37 lakh children and 7 lakh women across over 65,000 Anganwadi Centres statewide.

The Patna Clean Air Action Plan (PCAAP), developed by CSTEP, was approved by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB). CSTEP launched the first edition of the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS), a flagship event that brings together experts, policymakers, and civil society to tackle India’s air pollution crisis with science-based solutions. It conducted SAFARI (Sustainable Alternative Futures for India) modelling studies to explore sustainable development pathways aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a member of the GHG Platform India, CSTEP contributed to estimating India’s greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. CSTEP won the India Smart Grid Forum Innovation Award 2020 for implementing a smart microgrid project in Kudagaon, Odisha. It also hosted an event on the role of science and technology in shaping society, and released the book From Temples to Turbines – An Adventure in Two Worlds authored by Dr. V.S. Arunachalam. Additionally, it became the Secretariat for the India Energy Transformation Platform, supporting innovation in energy technologies and policy frameworks.

CSTEP’s SNEHA platform, a digital solution for maternal and child health monitoring, was successfully integrated with the Reproductive Child Health system of Karnataka’s health department. It also developed a proof-of-concept Urban Observatory platform for the state of Karnataka to support evidence-based urban planning.

CSTEP established a new regional office in Noida, expanding its footprint in Northern India and enabling greater engagement with national policy institutions.

CSTEP served as a knowledge partner to BESCOM to promote the adoption of rooftop photovoltaic (RTPV) systems in Bengaluru, helping scale up clean energy access in urban areas.

CSTEP organised the National Energy Policy Workshop on Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power in Bengaluru in partnership with NITI Aayog, facilitating high-level dialogues on India’s future energy strategies.

CSTEP contributed to the commissioning of a 3 MW hybrid solar-biomass power plant in Bihar. It also partnered with NITI Aayog to support the development of the India Energy Security Scenarios 2047, a tool to explore future energy pathways.

CSTEP launched its ‘Facilitating Offshore Wind in India (FOWIND)’ project in 2013, collaborating with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) along with the state governments of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to promote offshore wind energy development.

CSTEP played a key role in shaping India’s 12th Five Year Plan by contributing to chapters on climate change, the power sector, and long-term development scenarios. It participated in the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS), a collaborative research initiative focused on advancing solar technologies and policy frameworks.

CSTEP contributed to the Planning Commission of India’s report on low-carbon strategies for inclusive growth, with specific emphasis on emission reduction in the power and industrial sectors. It co-chaired a steering committee with the Ministry of Mines to develop a roadmap addressing vulnerabilities in material supply chains and promoting alternative materials through scientific innovation. CSTEP was also appointed as a member of the Energy Storage and Electric Vehicles Task Force in Karnataka, supporting early EV and battery storage planning.

CSTEP received core institutional support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under its Think Tank Initiative and from the Oak Foundation. It also initiated a landmark study focusing on decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, which would become a cornerstone of its climate strategy work.

CSTEP was officially registered as a corporation. In the same year, it published its first policy report titled ‘Technology: Enabling the Transformation of Power Distribution’, marking its entry into the field of energy policy research.

The Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) was founded in 2005 with a small but dedicated team focused on leveraging science and technology to influence public policy in India.