According to Gartner’s new report, Hype Cycle for Green IT and Sustainability in India, 2012, green IT and sustainability initiatives are an emerging trend in India and will double up by 2015. In 2010, the spending was $35 billion and this is expected to rise to $70 billion in 2015. The total green IT and sustainability spending is expected to be $45 billion in 2012.

The report highlights the rising awareness of green IT and sustainability among businesses, investors and policymakers in India. Further, it is expected that the government policies will support green IT solutions adoption by enterprises in India.

Ganesh Ramamoorthy, research director at Gartner: "For the first time, a chapter on sustainable development and climate change was introduced in the government's annual Indian Economic Survey, 2011-2012. The survey has suggested making lower-carbon sustainable growth a central element of India's 12th five year plan, which commenced in April 2012.” “This will set the tone for future policy initiatives and regulatory measures from the Indian government that will drive the implementation of some technologies - such as advanced metering infrastructure, carbon capture and sequestration, intelligent transportation system, solar energy technology, building integrated PV systems, eco-labels and footprints, combined heat and power technology, e-waste, distributed power generation, and water management - necessary to usher in low-carbon sustainable growth."

Indian enterprises are embracing IT to better their productivity and growth. This has increased the penetration of ICT infrastructure in the past decade, and so has the carbon emissions and energy consumption. The green IT and sustainability trend is likely to be adapted by other industries like banking and finance, manufacturing, hospitality, pharmaceuticals etc.

Ganesh Ramamoorthy, research director at Gartner:

"While awareness of green IT and sustainability issues is very low in Indian organizations, the increasing global focus on energy efficiency, energy security, green IT and sustainability issues is now causing the executive leadership in the technology sector to track, report and manage sustainable and resource-efficient business practices.”

"Simultaneously, the operational cost of making energy-efficient resources available is pressuring CIOs in Indian companies to develop strategies to optimize ICT utilization — including companywide energy management — while not compromising on the growth or deployment of newer technologies. We are already beginning to see the use of energy-efficient technology in data centers, manufacturing facilities and public buildings in India. While home energy management solutions in residences are still in the very early stages, they are increasingly tested in newly-built urban areas and gated communities."

For small and medium enterprises to thrive in this growing age of green IT and sustainability, it is best to adapt to energy-efficient resources.

Excerpted from the press release, Gartner Says Indian Green IT And Sustainability Spending To Reach $70 Billion By 2015, on Gartner website .