RT C: International Institute for Strategic Studies

India’s economy is large and growing fast, its energy systems are very carbon-intensive and it is home to several among the world’s most polluted cities.

It is no surprise, therefore, that the Indian government is seizing on the collapse in renewables’ cost, growing availability of LNG and technological advances in transport, to push for greener energy systems. It does so in ways that reflect national preferences, natural endowments and factors such as the role of Indian states in the energy sector. While doing so, India tends to maintain a preference for economic and social development as the organising factor of its energy policy.

This session will help understand the opportunities and constraints faced by the Indian authorities as they make energy policy choices for the new era of greener growth. It will shed light on how energy policy dynamics in India interact with global environmental ambitions as reflected in the Paris agreement, as well as local political constraints.