India, June 30 -- The air is heavy with the stench of chemicals. Workers lower machine parts into acid vats. Others apply silver coating. In a cabin off the factory floor of Automat Industries-an electroplating micro enterprise in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's Waluj industrial area-sits proprietor Sanjay Kulkarni.

Kulkarni has heard of 'green transition' in general but has not implemented an energy efficiency audit or roof top solar to reduce carbon emissions.

"I pay a Rs 3.5 lakh electricity bill for consumption of 2,000 units per month. My enterprise is smallest in the supply chain, and I don't have funding mechanism to install solar. However, I have bought an electric truck to transport products, saving Rs 15,000 in diesel charges per ...