India Needs $2.64 Tn in Investments to Meet UN SDGs by 2030: Report

A new report has revealed that India will need an estimated USD 2.64 trillion in investments to meet the UN SDGs by 2030.

A new report has revealed that India will need an estimated USD 2.64 trillion in investments to meet the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), offering the private sector an investment opportunity of over USD 1.12 trillion by 2030.

According to the Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map, the total investment that the country needs to make by 2030 is USD 2,633.9 billion. Of the total, USD 1,558.8 billion is for clean energy, USD 505.5 billion for transport infrastructure, USD 377.4 billion for digital access; and USD 192.2 billion for clean water and sanitation.

Of the total USD 2.64 trillion of investment needed, the potential investment opportunity for the private sector is a whopping USD 1.12 trillion with USD 701.5 billion going into clean energy, USD 226.5 billion for digital access, USD 176.9 billion in transport infrastructure, and USD 19.2 billion for clean water and sanitation.

For the emerging markets as a whole, the opportunity for the private sector is around USD 10 trillion, said the report adding that “India represents USD 1.124 trillion of SDG opportunity or more than 10 percent of the USD 9.668 trillion opportunity for private sector investors across all emerging markets to help achieve the UN goals.”

At USD 701.5 billion, the greatest private sector opportunity in the country is an investment in achieving and maintaining universal access to electricity, which is the seventh SDG. The study identified opportunities for the private sector to contribute to three infrastructure-focused goals between now and 2030 – SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, and SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

The SDG 9 calls for improvement in the industry, innovation, and infrastructure by 2030 wherein the private sector can chip into transport and digital areas which requires an investment of around USD 226.5 billion. Of the total, transport infrastructure alone will need USD 176.9 billion of investment.

“Opportunity 2030 provides an important map of the SDG opportunities for private sector investors looking to invest with impact and improve the lives of millions of Indians over the next decade,” Bharat Padmanabhan of StanChart said.