Sustainable Development and Climate Change in India: Understanding the Key themes and Emerging Areas

In the present research, a bibliometric analysis of research trend on sustainable development and climate change in India for the period between 2015 and 2024 is performed. We analyzed 8,882 Web of Science research papers extracted for data, using bibliometric tools (Biblioshiny and VOSviewer) to understand key themes, emerging areas and collaboration networks. We find that sustainable development, climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable development goals rank the highest, with a sharp increase in publications on circular economy and machine learning. Several subfields are uncovered through the thematic analysis, with sustainable development and environmental sustainability being the core areas of research and niche themes of the research emerging, such as photocatalysis or wastewater treatment. The research network of international collaboration indicates the significance of international alliances, especially with nations like China, the USA, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, for growth in research on these topics. Further, factorial analysis reveals the conceptual structure of the field and the interconnection of key terms, and shows the evolution of focus on renewable energy, circular economy and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In general, this study provides a comprehensive approach to studying the trends and dynamics of research on sustainable development and climate change in India and serves as a valuable reference for future studies and policy-making.