Council on Energy, Environment and Water Integrated | International | Independent
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, set out ambitious goals: to reduce PM10 levels by 20–30 per cent across 131 cities by 2024. That target has since been revised to a 40 per cent reduction by 2025–26. Industrial emissions contribute significantly to this, accounting for 23–37 per cent of India’s PM10 and 21–28 per cent of PM2.5 pollution. As point sources, these emissions are more straightforward to monitor and regulate compared to diffuse sources like transport or household combustion.
India’s focus on industrial emissions predates the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). In 2014, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) directed 17 highly polluting industrial sectors, such as oil refineries, cement, iron and steel, sugar and distilleries, to install Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and report data regularly to strengthen monitoring. This mandate carries significant weight for every state, especially the more densely populous ones like Bihar. According to 2023 Census projections, Bihar is home to 127 million people—9.1 per cent of India’s total, making it the most densely populated state with 1,307 people per square kilometre. In such a setting, unchecked emissions from any source pose a serious threat to public health.
Bihar faces unique challenges in implementing CEMS—not only due to its relatively smaller industrial base, but also because current regulatory models do not fully reflect the state’s industrial context. With only 17 highly polluting and 50 grossly polluting industries—mainly sugar, distillery, textiles, dairies, and food processing units along the Ganga basin—the scale is insufficient to attract sustained vendor engagement or justify extensive service infrastructure. As a result, Bihar’s CEMS rollout reveals systemic issues: limited vendor presence, poor after-sales support, and a shortage of trained personnel. Without targeted support and capacity-building initiatives, compliance risks are more likely to become an administrative burden than an effective tool for reducing industrial pollution.
To develop a grounded understanding of how CEMS implementation unfolds in practice, researchers from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), as part of an ongoing partnership with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), visited industries across six key sectors in Bihar: sugar, distillery, oil refinery, fertilisers, cement, and thermal power. These field-based interactions revealed how industries operationalise CEMS and how the resulting data is used in regulatory decision-making.
Bihar Pollution Control Board officials and CEEW researchers visited industrial sites to assess the status of CEMS installations
The challenges observed in Bihar reflect a broader national trend – India’s emissions monitoring systems are constrained by two major issues. One, weak technical infrastructure for calibration and validation of CEMS equipment, and, two, an underdeveloped service ecosystem, especially in less industrialised states. In states like Bihar, limited access to service providers has led to monopolistic pricing and poor after-sales support, discouraging timely maintenance and upgrades.
Nationally, the CEMS market, valued at INR 2,000 crore, is dominated by imported systems certified by USEPA or EU standards. Indian CEMs manufacturers, lacking a robust national certification framework, struggle to compete beyond the SME segment. This limits both their market potential and the incentive to innovate. Further, the lack of NABL-accredited laboratories and credible third-party audit mechanisms weakens the implementation, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that often lack in-house technical capacity.
To address these gaps, India must:
These reforms can unlock a reliable, competitive, and innovation-driven CEMS ecosystem.
Expanding CEMS adoption in India requires a tailored strategy that accounts for differences not only between sectors but also among states. In Bihar, our fieldwork revealed encouraging signs: large units in zones like Barauni and Patna are proactively investing in multi-stack CEMS deployment and pushing vendors to improve service quality. Their investment is driven not only by regulatory compliance, but by a recognition that real-time emissions data helps improve operational efficiency, reduce process losses, and demonstrate environmental accountability due to the national level focus on the Ganga basin Industries. These early adopters can serve as peer mentors through structured learning platforms that share operational insights and troubleshooting experiences with smaller, less-equipped units.
However, Bihar’s numerous Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)—especially in food processing units, sugar and distillery sectors—face structural barriers. High-moisture stacks, seasonal operations, and lack of in-house technical teams make CEMS compliance particularly challenging. These units depend on external vendors for calibration and maintenance, and require seasonal handholding, phased compliance deadlines, and contextualised training.
Policy design must account for these asymmetries to ensure a clear path to compliance for all stakeholders.
CEEW researchers undertook site-level evaluations to gather first-hand insights into CEMS installations
Effective CEMS implementation depends not just on institutional capacity, but also on access to skilled personnel. While SPCBs possess core expertise, some officials may lack specialised training in instrumentation, real-time data analysis, and interpreting sector-specific emissions.
A compelling example comes from IOCL Barauni, where a dedicated CEMS management group comprising instrumentation engineers, process engineers and environmental professionals actively monitors emissions data. This team analyses disruptions not only to ensure compliance but also to optimise process efficiency and reduce emissions, showcasing how emissions monitoring, when integrated with operations, can deliver both regulatory and business value.
This field insight reinforces a key learning: CEMS success depends on comprehensive data interpretation, not merely hardware installation.
India must train a new cadre of CEMS professionals—including data analysts, instrumentation engineers, and enforcement officers—who are equipped to handle sector-specific challenges. Practical, hands-on modules should be developed through platforms like:
Simultaneously, SMEs must receive structured support during early adoption, including seasonal troubleshooting and compliance planning. Building this talent pipeline will empower regulators, support industries, and drive innovation to help scale CEMS across sectors.
CEMS is more than a regulatory tool—it is essential for public health and environmental justice. Since air pollution does not stop at factory gates, CEMS empowers both regulators and citizens to track emissions in real time. For industries, it enables self-monitoring, compliance, and reputational trust.
But mandates alone are not enough. India needs a robust CEMS ecosystem backed by:
States and union territories with limited industrial bases—such as Bihar, Assam, Sikkim, and Jammu & Kashmir—face structural constraints. To address this, the CPCB could design a targeted support programme—akin to the Aspirational Districts Programme—to build capacity and infrastructure. Additionally, an amendment to Section 26 of the Air Act, 1981, to make CEMS data legally admissible could strengthen enforcement and signal that emissions transparency is not just informational, but actionable.
India has done this before. Digital payments and renewable energy scaled nationally through a combination of bold mandates, investment, and institutional support. Emissions transparency can be the country’s next success story—but only if we fix the foundations, empower institutions, incentivise innovation, and train the next generation of CEMS professionals.
Aishwarya Tiwari is a Research Analyst, Neelesh Soni is a Consultant and Neha Kumari is a State Coordinator at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). Send your comments to aishwarya.tiwari@ceew.in
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