India Shows the Way on Energy Transformation

Electricity demand is booming around the world.

- Rajiv J Shah

As the digital economy expands and evolves with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), entrepreneurs, workers, students, farmers, artists, and others are plugging in to leverage new tools and more electricity than ever. Nowhere is this clearer than in India—the fastest-growing economy in the world—where demand for electricity is soaring; again this year, electricity consumption is expected to increase by 8%.

India is making a big bet to meet this demand. After achieving universal electricity access, the government is pursuing a goal of deploying 500 GW of renewable energy in the years ahead. As important as the goal itself, India is showing the world how to act with urgency and scale. To ensure its people have access to renewable electricity, India has become a leader in public, private, and philanthropic partnerships that are advancing a worldwide energy revolution.

Since India became independent in 1947, and particularly over the last 30 years, it has proven how to solve big development challenges and improve life for people. Today, India's historic gains in living standards, health, and education have improved considerably all 12 multidimensional poverty indicators tracked by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Centre. Over just the past decade, the number of Indians lacking proper nutrition has been cut in half from 20% to 12%, access to clean drinking water has improved from 95% to nearly 98%, and more children are attending and staying in school longer.