Discussions on circular economy, climate finance and systemic innovation marked the sixth day of Delhi Climate Innovation Week (DCIW) 2026, currently underway across Delhi-NCR from 20–27 February. The event is organised by Climate Collective Foundation in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The key event of the day was the Innovation for Circularity Summit, anchored by the EU-India Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Initiative (EU-IRECEI) and implemented by GIZ India in partnership with Climate Collective Foundation. The Summit was held at the Sheraton New Delhi Hotel in Saket and was designated as a side event of the World Circular Economy Forum. Session and knowledge partners included the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and Marico Innovation Foundation.

The closed-door meeting brought together representatives from corporates, investment firms, start-ups and government bodies to discuss collaboration on circular economy solutions in sectors such as FMCG, plastic packaging, electronics, textiles, construction and hospitality.

Jui Joshi, Senior Partner at Climate Collective Foundation, said that circularity should be integrated into broader climate and economic discussions. Octavian Stamate, International Relations Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, spoke about ongoing cooperation between the European Union and India on environmental regulation and circular economy frameworks, including reference to the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Panel discussions during the Summit addressed sector-specific issues including plastic packaging, electronic waste, green construction and hospitality. Companies and organisations represented in discussions included Nestlé India, Landbell, Greenscape, JLL, Godrej Enterprises Group, ITC Hotels and Six Senses Vana Dehradun. The programme also featured a roundtable on circularity in textiles and the Climate Redesign Awards.

On the same day, the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub (UNGIH) held its nineteenth Systemic Innovation Workshop, and its second in India, in partnership with Climate Collective. The workshop brought together sub-national government representatives, innovators and financiers to discuss practical approaches to climate implementation. Sessions covered sustainable urban development, climate finance and breakout discussions on energy, circular economy and nature-based solutions.

Nalin Agarwal, Founding Partner of Climate Collective, said that such platforms aim to encourage collaboration across sectors. Nitin Arora, Lead at the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub under the UNFCCC, said the workshop sought to connect solution providers with stakeholders involved in on-ground implementation.

Separately, the Climate Tech Investment Network hosted an Impact Workshop bringing together investors, fund managers and start-ups to examine blended finance approaches and risk mitigation tools for scaling climate-related technologies.

Delhi Climate Innovation Week is being held with participation from several partner organisations, including Mahindra Group, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), WRI India, Climate Group, Impact Investors Council and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Other organisations convening sessions during the week include the World Bank, the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, the Climate Champions Team and the Global Resilience Partnership.