HPMP Stage III explained
What the HPMP is
India is an Article 5 party to the Montreal Protocol, which means it phases out controlled substances on a schedule with financial and technical support from the Multilateral Fund. The HPMP is the national implementation plan: which sectors convert, when, and with what assistance.
Stage I ran the early reductions. Stage II delivered the 35% cut by 2020 and much of the manufacturing conversion. Stage III carries the plan through the steepest part of the curve.
The numbers that matter
Against the 2009 to 2010 baseline, India's HCFC consumption steps down as follows: 35% by 2020, 67.5% by 2025, 97.5% by 2030, and then a 2.5% servicing allowance that continues until 1 January 2040, when it reaches zero.
Read that last part carefully, because it is where most confusion about R-22 comes from. The 2030 step is not the end of R-22. It is the point at which supply is limited to servicing existing equipment, and that servicing supply is explicitly permitted for another decade.
Where the 2025 manufacturing ban comes from
Stage III includes the prohibition on using HCFCs to manufacture new equipment, effective 1 January 2025. This is a manufacturing control, not a servicing control.
The distinction is the single most misunderstood point in the Indian refrigerant trade. It is lawful to buy R-22 and put it into a system that already exists. It is not lawful to build new equipment designed for it. Our R-22 legality page covers what follows for a buyer.
What it means commercially
A declining quota with a large installed base still running means R-22 becomes progressively scarcer and dearer between now and 2040. It does not disappear on a date.
For an equipment owner the practical planning question is whether a given machine will outlive convenient R-22 supply. If it will, the choice is a retrofit, usually to R-407C as the closest capacity match, or replacement. The retrofit guide covers the routes, and none of them is a straight swap because the oil has to change.
Reading it yourself
The Ozone Cell publishes the Stage III document, and it is worth a look if you are making capital decisions on R-22 plant. It is a government planning document rather than light reading, but the consumption schedule is unambiguous and it is the primary source behind almost everything written about R-22 in India, including this site.
Quick answers
What is HPMP Stage III?
The third stage of India's HCFC Phase-out Management Plan under the Montreal Protocol, carrying HCFC consumption down to 2.5% of baseline by 2030 with a servicing tail to 2040.
When does R-22 actually end in India?
1 January 2040, when the servicing allowance reaches zero. The 2030 milestone reduces consumption to 2.5% of baseline but explicitly permits servicing supply beyond it.
Why can't I buy an R-22 air conditioner any more?
Manufacturing new equipment with HCFCs has been prohibited in India since 1 January 2025 under Stage III. Servicing existing R-22 equipment remains lawful.
What is the baseline the cuts are measured against?
The 2009 to 2010 average consumption, which is the Montreal Protocol baseline for Article 5 parties.
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC · HCFC Phase-out Management Plan Stage III · PDF.
- UNEP Ozone Secretariat · Montreal Protocol Article 5 control schedules for HCFCs · ozone.unep.org.
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC · notifications on HCFC use in new equipment manufacture · ozonecell.nic.in.
This guide is general information compiled from the cited sources — not legal, safety or engineering advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Related: Is R-22 banned in India? · R-22 phase-out timeline · R-22 availability after 2025 · Retrofit options