India: ODS Rules 2000, HCFC phase-out, Kigali (group 2) and the India Cooling Action Plan
Refrigerant rules in India: ODS Rules 2000 with registration and licences, the HCFC ban in new equipment from 2025, the Kigali HFC freeze in 2028, ICAP and training of service technicians.
Key points
- India is not part of the EU, and the EU F-gas Regulation does not apply. Refrigerants are governed by the Montreal Protocol and the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, administered by the Ozone Cell of the environment ministry MoEFCC [1].
- Producers, importers, exporters, stockists and sellers of ozone-depleting substances must be registered and keep records. Import and export require a licence [1].
- Since 1 January 2025 HCFCs such as R22 may not be used in the manufacture of any new equipment. Existing R22 systems are serviced with recovered or stockpiled refrigerant [2][3].
- India is in group 2 under the Kigali Amendment: HFCs freeze at the baseline in 2028 and are cut by 10 % in 2032, 20 % in 2037, 30 % in 2042 and 85 % in 2047 [4][5].
- The India Cooling Action Plan of 2019 set the goal of training and certifying 100,000 service technicians by 2022–23 under Skill India [6][7].
The legal frame: Environment (Protection) Act and ODS Rules
India is a Party to the Montreal Protocol and implements it through the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Rules were published in the Gazette of India on 19 July 2000 and have been amended several times, including in 2014 [1][2]. The competent authority is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) through its Ozone Cell. The EU F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 does not apply in India. EU requirements such as CO2e-based leak checks and F-gas certificates therefore do not apply either.
The Rules are built on registration, licences and reporting [1]:
- Producers of ozone-depleting substances, manufacturers of products containing them, importers, exporters, stockists and sellers must register. The same applies to manufacturers, importers and exporters of compressors and other products containing ozone-depleting substances.
- Everyone who produces, uses, imports, sells, stocks, reclaims or destroys such substances must keep records and file reports as set out in the schedules of the Rules.
- Import and export require a licence, issued only on the recommendation of MoEFCC.
- The schedules set, among other things, phase-out dates per substance and use, the registration procedure and the record-keeping and reporting requirements.
HCFCs: the phase-out and the 2025 ban
HCFCs, mainly R22 (HCFC-22), are phased out in stages through the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), implemented by the Ozone Cell with support from the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol [3]. India follows the Montreal Protocol schedule for developing countries (Article 5) [3]:
| Year | HCFC consumption compared with the baseline |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Freeze at the baseline |
| 2015 | −10 % |
| 2020 | −35 % |
| 2025 | −67.5 % |
| 2030 | −97.5 %, the rest (2.5 %) for servicing only until 2040 |
| 2040 | −100 % |
Under the 2014 amendment of the ODS Rules, the use of HCFCs in the manufacture of all new equipment has been prohibited since 1 January 2025, chillers included. Many existing systems still contain R22 and are kept running on recovered or stockpiled refrigerant [2]. Servicing existing R22 systems is therefore still allowed, but supply will shrink towards 2030.
HFCs: the Kigali Amendment and group 2
India has ratified the Kigali Amendment and belongs to Article 5, group 2, together with Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf states, among others. Group 2 has a later schedule than other developing countries [4][5]:
| Step | Requirement for HFC production and consumption (in CO2e) |
|---|---|
| Baseline | Average HFC 2024–2026 plus 65 % of the HCFC baseline |
| 2028 | Freeze at the baseline |
| 2032 | −10 % |
| 2037 | −20 % |
| 2042 | −30 % |
| 2047 | −85 % |
In April 2026 MoEFCC stated in an office memorandum (F. No. IA-Z-11013/66/2026-IA-II) that new or expanded plants producing HFCs for controlled uses will not receive environmental clearance after 31 December 2027. The ministry says the phase-down will be implemented through regulation, including an amendment of the ODS Rules, 2000 [5]. As of October 2026 we have not found any published amendment of the ODS Rules with HFC quotas or bans on HFCs in new equipment.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
MoEFCC launched the India Cooling Action Plan in March 2019. The plan takes a 20-year view and aims to reduce refrigerant demand by 25–30 % and cooling energy demand by 25–40 % by 2037–38 [6]. For the servicing sector, the plan estimates that there are about 200,000 service technicians in the country, most of them in the informal sector. The goal is to train and certify 100,000 service technicians by 2022–23, in step with the Skill India Mission [6].
Training and certification of technicians
MoEFCC and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship have signed an agreement to train one lakh (100,000) service technicians in refrigeration and air conditioning. The training is funded by Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) under Skill India and delivered by the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) together with the Ozone Cell [7].
Safety standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has withdrawn the old safety standard IS 660 (Safety code for mechanical refrigeration). It has been replaced by IS 16678, in four parts, based on ISO 5149 on safety and environmental requirements for refrigerating systems and heat pumps [8]. Safety classes, charge limits and machinery room requirements therefore follow the same system as ISO 5149.
Practical checklist
- Buy refrigerant from registered sellers and keep the invoices. The whole chain must be traceable under the ODS Rules [1].
- Do not build new systems with R22 or other HCFCs. This has been prohibited since 1 January 2025 [2].
- Recover the refrigerant during service and decommissioning. Recovered R22 is what keeps existing systems running [2].
- Expect HFCs to freeze in 2028 and then decline. Choose low-GWP refrigerants for systems that will run beyond 2030 [4][5].
- Take certified training under PMKVY or ESSCI, especially before working with new refrigerants [6][7].
- Follow IS 16678 (ISO 5149) for safety in design and installation [8].
Calculate it yourself
Terms in this article
Sources
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC – The Gazette of India Notification (ODS Rules, 2000) and its schedules
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC – Study on Low-GWP Alternative Technologies for Chillers in Large Air Conditioning Buildings (2025)
- MoEFCC Ozone Cell – Roadmap for Phase-out of HCFCs in India
- UNEP Ozone Secretariat – Decision XXVIII/2: Decision related to the amendment phasing down hydrofluorocarbons
- MoEFCC (PARIVESH) – Office memorandum F. No. IA-Z-11013/66/2026-IA-II on restriction of HFC production in environmental clearance (April 2026)
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC – India Cooling Action Plan (2019)
- PIB – Environment and Skill Development Ministries sign MoU to train one lakh RAC service technicians
- Bureau of Indian Standards – IS 660 Safety code for mechanical refrigeration (withdrawn, superseded by IS 16678)