Special Sessions on Research in Clean Cooking @ MECF 2025

The Modern Energy Cooking Forum 2025 featured a dedicated Special Session on Research in Clean Cooking, which brought together experts and practitioners to discuss the evolving role of evidence in shaping the transition toward sustainable cooking solutions. The session emphasized that electric cooking technologies, such as induction cooktops and electric pressure cookers, hold immense promise for their high efficiency, reduced emissions, and potential to significantly cut cooking time. However, realizing this potential requires a significant understanding of technical, socio-economic, and cultural dimensions, as well as the integration of renewable energy sources like solar PV and microgrids.

The session began by highlighting the importance of affordability and consumer preferences in accelerating adoption. Researchers stressed that beyond the technical advantages of e-cooking devices, socio-cultural factors such as awareness levels, local cooking habits, gender roles, and livelihood, all the factors together impact in achieving acceptance from people. Furthermore, technical challenges such as grid stability, especially under high cooking loads, require careful research and planning. Evidence-based studies, therefore, are essential not only to guide device design and financial models but also to shape supportive infrastructure and policy frameworks.
Shri Sunil Mani from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) opened the discussion with their presentation on Electrifying Cooking Through Smarter Subsidies and Rooftop Solar. They highlighted how subsidies that are already existing for LPG if transfered for eCooking can be catalytic in enabling households to adopt electric cooking, which in turn helps in saving money and provides incentives to consumers for easy transition. Their research underscored the importance of aligning financial support with practical consumer needs, ensuring affordability while also promoting long-term sustainability.

The focus then shifted to Nepal, where Shri Biraj Gautam, CEO of the People, Energy & Environment Development Association (PEEDA), presented findings from the study Understanding the Diffusion of E-cooking Solutions for Micro Enterprises in Mountain Regions of Nepal. Drawing from field research, the study showed that most small hotels and restaurants in mountain regions remain heavily dependent on LPG despite the availability of micro-hydropower resources. Demonstrations with induction cookers revealed both the opportunities and barriers for transition. While businesses recognized potential cost savings and efficiency benefits but various concerns still persisted. The study concluded that a mix of targeted subsidies, awareness campaigns, and improved service networks is crucial to facilitate adoption in these communities.

From the Indian context, Ms. Sheetal Rastogi and Ms. Neh Satsangi of Finovista shared insights from the Multi-Fuel Study: India. Their presentation explored on the controlled cooking experiment which was done across devices such as LPG, EPC, infrared cooktops, induction cooktops and deep fryers. The cooking explored in making of tur daal, moong daal khichdi, poori, rice, aloo gobi and boiled potatoes to understand the efficiency of fuel and its cost variations.

The session also featured a presentation by Ms. Sumedha Awasthy and Shri Jatin Mathur from CLASP on the Global LEAP Awards for Induction Cookstoves. They outlined how the award initiative has fostered innovation by recognizing and supporting high-quality, energy-efficient induction stoves. Their work illustrated the role of international collaborations in improving appliance standards and encouraging manufacturers to design products that are both user-friendly and market-ready.

In conclusion, the Special Session on Research in Clean Cooking underlined that while the technology base for e-cooking is strong and expanding, its successful scale-up depends on evidence-driven approaches that bridge technical, financial, and social dimensions. By drawing on experiences from India, Nepal, and global initiatives, the session enhanced the collective understanding of pathways for accelerating the clean cooking transition.