Every year, between May to September, the same images make the rounds. The national capital first sweats and then drowns with even a few millimetres of rain. The city that never sleeps braces water logging every year without fail. The silicon valley of India while facing traffic snarls the whole year dreads the monsoon months which make it worse.  Why is it that India's megacities crumble under the slightest variation in weather? Why are our national, financial capitals and metro cities not...

This summer was all about breaking records - from temperature to electricity demand. India clocked the highest ever electricity demand of 260 Gw during the summer months, thanks to sweltering heat in all parts of the country.  But is it just the heat? Has the electricity usage behavior changed in the country? Are ACs shaping our power demand? Are the demand drivers shifting from commercial to domestic segment?  Is the electricity supply landscape prepared for extreme weather events...

This summer was all about breaking records - from temperature to electricity demand. India clocked the highest ever electricity demand of 260 Gw during the summer months, thanks to sweltering heat in all parts of the country.  But is it just the heat? Has the electricity usage behavior changed in the country? Are ACs shaping our power demand? Are the demand drivers shifting from commercial to domestic segment?  Is the electricity supply landscape prepared for extreme weather events...

Energy security remains a top priority for India as it seeks to balance growth with sustainability. A critical question emerges: Can India ensure energy security while also phasing down inefficient and uneconomical coal power plants? This issue involves not only understanding the current landscape of power production but also strategizing the retirement of outdated plants.In this insightful episode, we engage with Dr. Joshua Busby and Deepshikha Arora from the University of Texas at Austin,...

Can political leaders be taken to court over climate change impacts? Can the Indian Constitution recognize climate change under the right to live? A recent Supreme Court hearing explored these questions, sparking a national debate. The case ruled against the livelihood rights of an endangered bird, but what could laws against extreme weather and climate change mean for us? Join us as we discuss this with Shibani Ghosh, Advocate on Record Supreme Court of India and a visiting fellow at the...

Nearly 2.8 billion people around the world depend on solid fuels such as firewood and biomass for their cooking needs. Majority of such people reside in African and Asian countries including in India. India has made significant progress in enhancing access to modern fuels through policies that support greater use of LPG cylinders. However, several issues still remain. To understand the Indian clean cooking challenge and the required interventions, we interviewed Abhishek Kar, Senior...

Imagine a future where every rooftop is a mini power station, contributing to a cleaner and greener environment. This isn't just a dream—it's the potential of decentralized renewable energy projects. From innovative micrgrids to efficient rooftop solar panels, these solutions are revolutionizing the way we power our lives. To know more, We sat with Dr. Debajit Palit; He has a PhD in Energy Policy and an MSc in Physics. He is currently a professor at the NTPC School of Business. He has...

India has ambitions to install 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Achieving this target would require large scale finance, sound policies and much more. To understand how India can achieve its renewable energy targets, we interviewed Vibhuti Garg, Director of South Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.  Vibhuti is an expert on energy pricing, adoption of new technologies, subsidy reforms, enhancing clean energy access and more.  Full transcript of the...

Season 4 of The India Energy Hour Podcast is here.  To kickstart the season, the hosts are here to give a primer on what all to expect in India's journey towards energy transition.  It is the year of general elections in India. A lot of policies and political decisions hinge on that.  But there is other exciting stuff too. From India's maiden critical mineral auction to more engagement on just transition, this could be the year India walks the talk on energy transition.  Tune in to get a...

This year’s Conference of Parties (COP28), hosted in the oil-rich UAE, was full of ironies. There were apprehensions over the host, which has oil wells in its backyard. The COP28 President was the CEO of the national oil company. It was expected that at least the rich nations would drive more climate finance. But the negotiations that unfolded over the 12 days and the outcome caught many by surprise. The COP final text, for the first time, mentioned a transition away from fossil fuels. The...

India’s energy transition is central to global climate action. But where does India’s energy transition stand? What are the key challenges and opportunities in areas such as energy access, clean transportation and critical minerals. To understand the intricate dynamics of India's energy transition journey, we interviewed Aditya Ramji, Director of the India Zero Emission Vehicle Research Centre at the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis. Aditya is a leading...

India's energy transition currently comprises a set of ambitious targets, the pathway for which is yet to be designed.  While at the Central level, there are a variety of policies, the real challenge lies in their execution. And at the execution level there are at least 28 different clogs to be taken care of.  States will need to play a larger role if India has to effectively meet its energy transition goals while being in sync with economic growth. Coal rich states face the challenge of...

Energy efficiency in India has become an important focus due to the country's growing energy demands, environmental concerns, and the need to reduce energy costs. Several initiatives and policies have been put in place to enhance energy efficiency across various sectors in India. In this episode, we interviewed Saurabh Kumar, India Head of Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), who had a remarkable career in the energy efficiency space. He has previously worked with Energy...

Climate tech is one of the emerging areas in the technology landscape offering a variety of new-age solutions for adapting to changing climate. Largely unexplored, climate tech has the potential to empower even the grassroot sectors with the ability to forecast and adapt to extreme weather and unprecedented climatic events. In this unique episode, we talked with Himanshu Gupta, the co-founder of Climate AI, who explained the various facets of climate tech, the emerging AI tools, and how he...

How many trillions would be required to reach zero? Are global dialogues enough to rake up funds? As countries race to meet their net carbon zero targets, it is the technological solutions and entrepreneurial ventures which could make it a reality. Capitalism has always been the antithesis of climate action. But what happens when you marry them both? To explore this, we talked with Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate at Bloomberg News and host of their climate-solutions podcast Zero....

As the G20 host, India deftly managed geopolitics, especially Russia-Ukraine, while driving energy and climate discussions. Topics like renewable energy, critical minerals, and sustainable finance took center stage, likely impacting the upcoming COP summit. India's challenge is finding unity among diverse priorities, addressing resource nationalism, and aligning nations in various green energy stages. The G20 Leaders' Summit underscores the quest for consensus on issues like fossil fuel...

India's G20 presidency started amidst major geopolitical events, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These events reshaped energy markets and climate policies globally. As energy security considerations took center stage, countries started re-evaluating climate and energy policies. Most countries started looking inward, pushing for policies that secure energy security for them instead of building a global consensus on climate action. To understand how India is navigating the G20...

India has taken over the presidency of G20 at a time when the conventional geopolitics around key sectors is witnessing a shift - be it fossil fuels, climate, financing and several others. While it has provided the country an opportunity to lay a ground for a stronger voice of the Global South in energy transition and climate action, the ongoing turmoil between various nations is set to impact the outcome of the deliberations. To understand what are the key themes of energy and climate in...

In this episode, Vivek Subramanian - Co-founder and Executive Director of Fourth Partner Energy discusses the market dynamics and trends in the decentralised green energy industry. He shares his entrepreneurial journey and the growth of his company. He emphasized on long-term contracts in the decentralised space especially with commercial and industrial consumers. He said the increasing desire of end consumers to control their energy mix and the price of power will drive the sector...

In India, the coal based electricity dominates the power sector. But the country has set ambitious renewable power targets. This will bring about many techno-economic and socio-political changes. For example, Indian state owned enterprises in the power sector may have to redefine themselves, and there will be a need for new financial mechanisms and policy design for providing renewable energy a boost. To understand the state of play in the power sector, we interviewed Abhinav Jindal, senior...

India's green energy landscape has witnessed remarkable growth and transformation in recent years, positioning the country as a global leader in the clean energy transition. With a growing population, rapid urbanization, and rising energy demands, India recognized the need to diversify its energy sources and reduce its heavy reliance on fossil fuels. In order to understand the changing landscape of the green energy sector and the country’s ambitious energy transition goals, we interviewed...

In recent years, heatwaves in India have become more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. This increase can be attributed to the larger problem of global warming and climate change. Rising greenhouse gas emissions have led to a rise in average global temperatures, which directly contribute to the occurrence and severity of heatwaves. In order to understand the importance of Heat Action Plans and implications of extreme weather, we spoke to Aditya Valiathan Pillai, a fellow with the...

For years, multiple Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have relied on integrated assessment models or IAM modelling pathways to achieve global net zero targets.  The IPCC reports and IAM pathways have become key drivers of government policy on keeping a lid on global warming in many countries.  However, scholars from Global South have argued that IAMs have failed to incorporate the principles of equity and rights of developing countries while charting decarbonisation pathways....

Climate financing in India is crucial for achieving sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The government’s efforts to mobilize climate finance, along with support from international institutions are essential for achieving these goals. In order to understand the complexities and challenges of financing climate change initiatives in India, including the role of government, private sector, and international institutions, we interviewed Varad Pande, Climate...