Lucknow: The UP govt on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with leading industry associations to discuss fuel conservation, energy efficiency and measures to reduce operational costs amid evolving global challenges.The meeting, organised by Invest UP, was chaired by infrastructure and industrial development commissioner Deepak Kumar and co-chaired by additional chief secretary, infrastructure and industrial development, Alok Kumar.Officials said the meeting was held in line with appeals made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath on fuel conservation and economic prudence.Addressing industry representatives, Kumar suggested measures such as work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings, carpooling and greater use of public transport to reduce fuel consumption. He also urged industries to minimise electricity usage through natural daylight and limit decorative lighting in commercial establishments.The commissioner encouraged industries to shift freight movement from roads to railways wherever possible and promote electric vehicle adoption by supporting charging infrastructure. He also stressed the need to strengthen local consumption and support initiatives such as One District One Product (ODOP).Industry bodies participating in the meeting proposed several measures. Laghu Udyog Bharati suggested reintroducing net metering to encourage solar energy use, while the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry proposed advanced road technologies to reduce bitumen imports. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for faster implementation of EV subsidies and a dedicated solar policy.Representatives from industry bodies including CII, NASSCOM, Indian Industries Association and several regional chambers also attended the meeting and assured support in promoting the advisory among industries.
