Dhurjati Mukherjee
In the wake of the Middle East crisis, the need for acceleration of green energy in India assumes great significance more so because the country has committed to net-zero emissions by 2070. Agreeably, rapid strides are manifest in cultivating clean energy, but more concerted efforts are needed.
Let’s start with current oil crisis. The Hormuz Strait carries 20% of the global oil supply as there is no alternative to compensate for the loss of supplies on this scale. India depends upon nearly 50% of its oil imports on countries in this region. Since February, there has been an increase of $4.54 per barrel in the price of Brent crude and since the war broke out, this has further risen. Just a one dollar increase in crude oil can result in an increase of India’s annual crude import bill by Rs 14,000 crore. With US permission to India to purchase Russian oil vide a 30-date waiver, India has swiftly procured more than 10 million barrels of Russian crude while around 15 million barrels are currently on tankers in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal and another 7 million barrels are idling near Singapore.
Gas is, however, an area of concern as India imports LNG requirements from Qatar and the UAE which lie inside the Hormuz Strait. Qatar, which accounts for 40% of India’s LNG import, has stopped its production and export. This has resulted in the spot price of Asian LNG tripling from $10.73 to $35 per MMBtu. Regarding LPG, India imports 60% from West Asia and the longer the war lasts, households are expected to suffer. Right now, it’s important to tap other sources like Australia and Canada but, in the long-term, there is a need to scale up biogas production in the country.
A recent Niti Aayog report reiterated that reliable, affordable and progressively cleaner electricity is essential to improve living standards, raise productivity and unlock a low-carbon transition across transport, buildings and industry. With nearly 258GW of renewable energy capacity installed by December 2025, India has emerged as the world’s fourth largest renewable energy. However, the country’s coal consumption could more than double by mid-century before plunging sharply as the country shifts towards cleaner energy, as indicated.
In 2025, India achieved a major milestone with 50% of the installed power generation capacity now coming from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of its 2030 target under the December 2015Paris Agreement. The world’s fastest growing economy now has a total installed generation capacity of around 510GW, comprising 247GW of fossil fuel sources and 262GW non-fossil fuel, including 254GW from renewable energy sources. India is expected to add around 50GW of renewable energy capacity this year, backed by investments of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore, taking its total non-fossil fuel capacity to about 262GW. Governments expect to sustain similar pace of capacity addition in 2026, even as challenges related to land acquisition and delays in signing power purchase agreements continue to constrain fresh projects.
The sector has already added a whopping 44.5GW of new capacity, including the large hydro capacity during the 11-month period of 2025, led by the solar power segment. India’s clean energy capacity continues to be driven by solar power, which added 35GW across all solar segments to the grid during the period compared with 25GW added in 2024. Top states in solar power installed capacity include Rajasthan (36GW), Gujarat (25GW), Maharashtra (17GW) and Tamil Nadu (12GW).
However, the passage of Shanti Acthas thrown open doors of nuclear energy to private parties. As is known, nuclear operates continuously, requires minimal land and provides the stable baseload power that modern economies need. The government’s target of 100GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 represents roughly 12 times its current capacity, which at present doesn’t appear an easy target. While India did not commit to tripling nuclear capacity at COP28 in Dubai, the Shanti Act shows commitment through concrete legislative action. But it’swelcome that sensitive activities like enrichment and reprocessing remain State monopolies, appropriately balancing commercial opportunity with proliferation concerns.
The Rs 3000 crore liability threshold would be grossly insufficient in a worst-case event. The new Act hinges on private investors committing substantial capital – this is questionable given global evidence of nuclear projects running 2-3 times over budget. Nuclear projects require 30-year payback periods, far exceeding private sector horizons of 10 years-odd. Whether venture capital would be forthcoming and the Act be a watershed movement in the realm of green energy, time will tell. Experts suggest designing financial mechanisms that make private nuclear investment viable, accelerating indigenous SMR development to prevent technology lock-in and ensuring liability provisions.
As India is fast developing, it can’t do without fossil fuel, and its effects and those on environment needs to be understood. Doctors opine the most direct impact of such fuel is on the respiratory system. Toxic air pollution directly affects the human body, increasing risk of dangerous infections like pneumonia, cancers and chronic respiratory conditions. Evidence has shown air pollution increases cardiovascular diseases, risk of strokes and dementia among other neurological conditions.
Children are particularly at risk because their organs are still developing and, as they grow, they are exposed to these toxins that generate long-term impacts. Several countries subsidised fossil fuels for one trillion dollars last year and over one trillion the year before. Yet, the enormous public funds subsidising fossil fuels should be directed to support improved health, better access to clean energy and making new infrastructure that benefits well-being. Experts believe that though India’s usage of fossil fuel led to huge economic development at the same time, it must be acknowledged this is now doing more harm than good.
Numerous questions arise while maintaining balance between rapid development and implementation of clean energy. A section feels government is steadily moving towards green energy while another, including environmentalists, opine it’s lagging in addressing environmental concerns, which plague primarily the poor. For a country geared to a faster development trajectory, it’s impossible to abandon fossil fuels.
What should government strategy be? While balancing power needs, it’s vital to ensure pollution in all forms is controlled with an iron hand to check the looming environmental threat. Industrial fumes, emission-emitting vehicles we see on roads and highways should immediately be banned and other steps taken to ensure that deterioration of air and water pollution is kept at bare minimum. Reports indicate that authorities are surprisingly lenient in such matters as bribery does play a part.
Meanwhile, though globally efforts are on to shift to renewable energy, the US decision to pull-out from all major climate-linked global bodies, including India headquartered International Solar Alliance (ISA) and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is a setback. However, most nations are determined to curb emission though stronger initiatives. India must do its bit.—INFA
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