"The University as a whole is working energetically in building working, practical relationships in India and we think this is a real opportunity to explore potential collaborations in the evolution of the next generation of sustainable industrial systems." - Professor Mike Gregory

A seminar examining ways in which industry could go green could lead to high profile collaborations between Cambridge and India.

The IfM led a high-level seminar in India looking issues surrounding industrial sustainability.

The UK-India Industrial Sustainability Seminar took place in Mumbai and formed part of a ten-day visit to India by the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard.

More than 15 million people live and work in India's largest city and it is home to some of the world's biggest firms such as steel and automotive giant Tata Group, Industrial conglomerate Mahindra Group and Sun Pharmaceutical.

The event brought together senior manufacturing and sustainability academics and industrialists to share experience, perspectives and challenges. The meeting also explored the potential for significant UK-India projects in this field.

A group of leading manufacturing and environmental experts combined to produce the report which proposed a global effort to understand how essential elements of industrial systems – resources, processes and organisation – could be integrated to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining acceptable standards of living without damaging the planet.

The report's co-authors Professor Mike Gregory, head of the IfM, and Professor Steve Evans from Cranfield University took part in the event.

Professor Mike Gregory, said "There is a long history of collaboration in manufacturing between India and the UK.

"The University as a whole is working energetically in building working, practical relationships in India and we think this is a real opportunity to explore potential collaborations in the evolution of the next generation of sustainable industrial systems.

"We hope that this will be part of an international effort to engage industrialists and academics to work with us on taking a system-level view of industrial sustainability.”