India is set to freeze HFC production by 2028, as a new Environment Ministry directive states that no additional HFC production capacity should be permitted beyond 31 December 2027, and that the freeze on baseline HFC production and consumption will apply from 1 January 2028. The move follows India’s obligations under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and was highlighted in recent reporting by Devdiscourse.

The official order also makes the implementation path clearer. It says new or expanded HFC production projects for controlled applications should not receive environmental clearance beyond that deadline, and even fresh applications must include an undertaking that installation and commissioning will be completed before the end of 2027.

What the New Policy Means

India’s HFC roadmap is built around a baseline and a phased reduction schedule. The baseline will be calculated using the average HFC production and consumption in 2024, 2025, and 2026, plus 65% of the baseline average production and consumption of HCFC-22 during 2009 and 2010. From that level, India’s phasedown schedule requires a 10% reduction by 2032, 20% by 2037, 30% by 2042, and 85% by 2047.

Key Takeaways

• Freeze date: HFC production and consumption are to be frozen at the baseline level from 1 January 2028.
• No new capacity after 2027: No additional HFC production capacity should be permitted beyond 31 December 2027 for controlled applications.
• Phase-down steps: India’s official reduction schedule is 10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042, and 85% in 2047.
• Main HFCs produced in India: The ministry notes that HFC-32, HFC-134a, and HFC-125 are among the main HFCs currently produced in India.
• Feedstock exemption: The order says feedstock uses are exempt under the Montreal Protocol, while the controls apply to regulated applications.

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Why HFCs Matter for Climate Policy

Hydrofluorocarbons do not deplete the ozone layer like older refrigerants, but they are still powerful greenhouse gases. India’s Ozone Cell says HFCs are widely used as alternatives to ozone-depleting substances in cooling applications, and that India has committed under the Kigali Amendment to freeze HFC use by 2028 and phase it down by 85% by 2047. The same government source says the Kigali Amendment is expected to avoid emissions equivalent to about 70 billion tonnes of CO2 globally.

This is why India is set to freeze HFC production by 2028 matters well beyond the chemical sector. It affects refrigeration, air conditioning, fire suppression, and the broader cooling economy, all of which are growing as temperatures rise and cooling demand expands. The Ministry’s recent call for pilot demonstration projects also shows that India is preparing for a shift toward lower-global-warming-potential alternatives and more efficient cooling technologies.

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India’s HFC Phase-Down Roadmap

This table is compiled from the MoEFCC directive, the Ozone Cell’s Kigali guidance, and the ministry’s recent pilot-project notice.

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What Comes Next

The next major step will be regulatory follow-through. The ministry order says India will need amendments to the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, and a permitting framework that aligns production limits with the Kigali schedule. That means India is set to freeze HFC production by 2028, which is not only a deadline-driven policy move but also the start of a longer transition in how cooling technologies are made, approved, and deployed in the country.

In practical terms, the success of this policy will depend on how quickly industry shifts to low-GWP alternatives, how efficiently the transition is supported, and how well climate goals are balanced with India’s rapidly expanding cooling needs. But the signal is already clear: India is set to freeze HFC production by 2028, marking a firmer and more structured climate action pathway.

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