This year has seen a raft of news stories about tremendous growth and cost reductions for solar power in India. This is a good thing. In a country where more than 300m people lack even the most basic access to electricity, solar power can be among the quickest and easiest ways to get power into, for example, rural villages. This is a major focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Power for All” plan. Since his election in April 2014, the electrification rate for India’s villages has reached almost 75 per cent and continues to rise. Significant progress has been made in improving transmission capacity and in reforming the struggling power distribution companies. Yet, despite the rapid rise of renewable energy, coal will continue to play an important role in Indian power generation, and it needs investment.
FT 29th Sept 2017 read more »
