INDIA ENERGY STORY

Based on ENERGY STATISTICS INDIA 2024 handbook.

The case for coal remains strong in INDIA due to abundant domestic coal reserves and large energy poor population

India's per capita electricity consumption is much lower compared to global standards

India's natural gas reserves are inadequate with respect to its huge population

India has a large renewable energy potential from various sources

Some of the states with higher population but lesser renewable generation can optimize their waste to energy potential

Decentralized renewable energy has shown growth in last 3 years

Off-grid renewable can be a potential game changer going forward

The eastern region of India lags behind other regions in installation capacities

A shift towards more renewable sources seems the case in electricity generation

The refining sector seems efficient in terms of crude throughput and capacity utilization(>95%)

Except KG basin, no significant oil and gas discoveries in recent time has led to a big disadvantage to India in terms of energy security

For natural gas, to achieve a share of 15% at the end of decade from the current 6.8 % is a humongous task considering the limited indigenous reserves available along with the increasing demand of energy to cater to the vast population

The increase in electricity supply supports the rising consumption

The increasing trend in wholesale price of electricity is a challenge for consumers

The energy consumption is showing an upward trajectory with coal and crude oil being the dominant energy sources

Coal has a dominant share in the electricity sector

High Speed Diesel Oil (HSDO) rules the industry & transport sector

Electricity consumption is increasing with railways and EVs are potential candidates for further increase in electrification

India's per capita energy consumption has increased but is far lower than global standards

From sustainability point of view, the energy intensity shows a decreasing trend

The way forward

1. India's energy demand to increase multifold due to incremental per capita energy consumption
2. Coal and crude oil still call the shots in the energy mix
3. Trends in Industrialization and Electrification will be the cornerstone for energy consumption in years to come
4. Renewable energy growth will be the torchbearer for decarbonization
5. The lack of granular data in energy efficiency can act as an inhibitor towards sustainable policy making