India Last Week #43
A round-up of research & reportage on India across climate, energy, foreign policy, politics & more over the last week
Climate, Energy & Environment -
“Data from the Central Electricity Authority show that by end-January 2025, renewables comprised 45% of installed power capacity. Solar capacity crossed 100 GW and now accounts for over a fifth of India’s installed power capacity. Considering that solar was a paltry 3.7 GW in March 2015, the sector witnessed a remarkable 27-fold growth in less than a decade… Despite the progress India made so far in its energy transition journey, some recent state of the sector reports flag multiple gaps which include inadequate transmission infrastructure (renewable power generated in one state has to be transported to another) and projects failing to take off… Another report by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released in January, underlined the sluggish pace of commissioning of RE projects. For 34.5 GW of solar, wind, and hybrid projects, power purchase agreements (PPA) have been signed but projects are yet to be commissioned… A lot of RE is being pushed to states without consulting them, said a former MNRE secretary who did not want to be named… To resolve the current backlog of projects, both centre and state governments have to step up investments to modernize the grid infrastructure, said Nidhi Bali, director of energy and urban transition at iForest, a climate think tank.” Read more: Sayantan Bera, Mint
“We conducted 88 interviews with city, district, and state government officials charged with implementing heat actions in these nine cities… To assess how prepared these cities are for extreme heat in the coming decades, we catalogued short-term measures meant to save lives while paying special attention to heat solutions that are thought to bring long-term benefits… All cities report short-term emergency measures: These include actions like access to drinking water, changing work schedules, and boosting hospital capacity before or during a heat wave… Long-term solutions, meant to reduce the mounting, cumulative risk of heat waves due to global warming, were most commonly reported for the health system. As a result, what emerges is a picture of very weak mainstreaming of long-term heat concerns in other crucially important sectors… Long-term solutions were both less common and less likely to be effective because they were not targeted at heat vulnerable populations… Many important long-term actions are entirely absent: These include making household or occupational cooling available to the most heatexposed; developing insurance cover for lost work; expanding fire management services for heat waves; and electricity grid retrofits to improve transmission reliability and distribution safety.” Read more: Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Tamanna Dalal, Ishan Kukreti, Alexandra Kassinis, Lucas Vargas Zeppetello, Escandita Tewari & Navroz K. Dubash, Sustainable Futures Collaborative
“India’s emerging critical minerals strategy is informed by the understanding that, while New Delhi can meet a portion of its rapidly growing demand domestically, it is not nearly enough to achieve self-sufficiency… The NCMM projects that India will meet 5% of its annual critical mineral demand by 2031 from 50 overseas mining assets… As a region that houses 30% of the global reserves of critical minerals (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 2024), and where Indian energy companies are already active, Africa presents India with a unique option… The rationale for imagining an era of critical mineral cooperation between India and countries in Africa rests on two major factors: first, the continent’s mineral abundance and the centrality of the mining sector to its pursuit of development (African Union et al., 2023)… Second, India’s existing energy partnerships with the region are significant. Since 2001, total trade in the mining and mineral sectors between India and Africa stands at US$43 billion.” Read more: Veda Vaidyanathan, Centre for Social and Economic Progress
Economy -
“Banks have written off non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans worth about Rs 16.35 trillion in last 10 financial years, Parliament was informed on Monday. Highest amount of Rs 2,36,265 crore was written off during financial year 2018-19 while NPAs worth Rs 58,786 crore were written off in 2014-15, the lowest in the last 10 years… Banks continue pursuing their recovery actions initiated against borrowers under the various recovery mechanism available to them, such as filing of a suit in civil courts or in Debts Recovery Tribunals, action under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, filing of cases in the National Company Law Tribunal under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, etc, she said. As per RBI data, as on December 31, 2024, scheduled commercial banks had 29 unique borrower companies, which have been classified as NPAs and each of them have outstanding of Rs 1,000 crore and above, she said, adding aggregate outstanding in these accounts were Rs 61,027 crore.” Read more: Business Standard
“In India's federal fiscal structure, states shoulder significant responsibilities for delivering public services and welfare benefits to citizens. Often, these benefits take the form of subsidies – financial interventions designed to reduce costs for consumers or producers… States with revenue deficits are spending over 20% of their revenue expenditure on subsidies, while their fiscal space has shrunk to less than 50% of revenue receipts. Committed expenditures – including salaries, pensions, and interest payments – now consume over 80% of revenue receipts in states like Punjab (81.5%) and Kerala (71.8%)… In this context, the growing burden of explicit subsidies is particularly concerning. Explicit subsidies – direct payments to individuals or organisations that reduce costs or prices – have increased sharply since 2020-21… Analysis of state-level data reveals three distinct patterns in subsidy distribution. First, states with revenue deficits tend to have higher subsidy burdens… Second, power sector subsidies emerge as a particular concern, dominating state expenditures… Third, states are increasingly using direct benefit transfers (DBT) for subsidy delivery.” Read more: Kishan Narayan, Ideas for India
“There’s still two weeks to go before US President Donald Trump’s April 2 deadline for imposing reciprocal taxes on imports. But New Delhi already seems to have gone into damage-control mode, anticipating the worst… In the past 10 years, Modi’s economic strategy has relied heavily on a small team of national champions. To protect them from foreign competition, tariffs that in 2011 had almost fallen to China’s 7 per cent levels were raised to 12 per cent by 2022… Academic research has corrobrated the growing heft of the richest businessmen — Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani — as well as the Mumbai-based Tata Group, cement czar Kumar Mangalam Birla and telecom tycoon Sunil Mittal. The top five groups’ share of nonfinancial assets rose from 10 per cent in 1991 to 18 per cent by 2021. The expansion picked up steam after Modi first became prime minister in 2014. That’s when the conglomerates “started acquiring larger and larger shares within the sectors where they were present,” according to Viral Acharya, a former central bank deputy governor who now teaches at the New York University…. The sudden enthusiasm for the businesses of Trump’s head of government efficiency has a clear message for India’s coddled billionaires: They’re being cut loose.” Read more: Andy Mukherjee, Bloomberg
Foreign Policy & Security -
“Over more than a decade, China has built up economic and military ties across the Indian Ocean, sending warships on training and anti-piracy missions while winning access to key naval bases. It has also poured billions into 46 commercial ports across the region, 36 of which are capable of hosting naval assets, according to data from the Council on Foreign Relations. That has particularly alarmed India, which has constructed an airstrip where it can land surveillance aircraft on the Agaléga islands, another Mauritian territory some 1,100 miles west of Diego Garcia, in large part to track Chinese activity… Beijing’s growing clout has forced India to work harder to win hearts and minds closer to home in countries like Sri Lanka. China poured $12.1 billion into infrastructure projects across the country between 2006 and 2019, according to Chatham House in London… As India seeks to win over officials in its neighborhood, it is also building military facilities. In addition to Agaléga, India commissioned a new base on its western seaboard on Minicoy Island last year and opened its first off-shore military logistics facility at the Duqm Port in Oman.” Read more: Peter Martin, Kamlesh Bhuckory, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Adrian Leung and Demetrios Pogkas, Bloomberg
“The Indian government is currently focusing only on the terms of Bilateral Trade Agreements (BTA) with the US, and no talks have been held on ‘averting’ reciprocal tariff, a government source told TNIE. “Reciprocal tariff is a US law and part of its broader international trade strategy, which will impact not just one country. So, we have not been talking with them on reciprocal tariff,” says a government official on the condition of anonymity. The US has announced it will impose a reciprocal tariff beginning 2 April 2025 under which it will increase the tariff on countries which levy higher duties on exports from the US than duties levied by the US on their exports… The commerce ministry officials are also tightlipped on any request by the India government to defer the imposition of reciprocal tariff from 2 April. A commerce ministry official told TNIE that the government is proactively engaging with the US, and discussing mutually beneficial issues which can increase the trade up from $200 billion currently to $500 billion.” Read more: Dipak Mondal, The New Indian Express
“India continues to get closer to the Taliban, with reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will allow the regime in Afghanistan to appoint a new envoy for its embassy in New Delhi. This comes on the heels of the first high-level meeting between India and the Taliban in January, with India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and acting Taliban ‘Foreign Minister’ Amir Khan Muttaqi meeting in Dubai to discuss strengthening political and economic ties, and providing humanitarian aid. India’s relationship with the Taliban has been trending this way for some time, beginning when New Delhi reopened its embassy in Kabul in June 2022, almost a year after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan. But accepting a Taliban diplomat in India would be a significant shift, all but recognising the regime as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan… New Delhi has long called for Afghanistan to be free of terrorism, and this should be a key demand before any further engagement with the Taliban takes place. This includes the Taliban collaborating with regional partners to defeat the IS and forcing the group to renounce the support of the Tehrik-e Taliban… India should heed the lessons of rivals China and Pakistan, who have had their fingers burnt after engaging with the Taliban and investing in Afghanistan.” Read more: Chris Fitzgerald, The Hindu
‘$21 mn for voter turnout’ row: MEA has sought details on USAID funds spent in India from US embassy
“The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has formally requested detailed information from the US Embassy regarding the allocation and expenditure of USAID funds for projects in India over the past decade. This request comes amid claims from US President Donald Trump, suggesting that USAID funds were used to influence voter turnout in Indian elections. On Thursday, the MEA informed the Rajya Sabha that while some open-source information is available, the US government has not yet provided the requested details. The statement came following a query by Kerala MP and Rajya Sabha member John Brittas. The Indian government is awaiting an official response to clarify the scope of USAID’s involvement in India, including the NGOs through which these projects have been executed… The USAID has been a significant contributor to health and population projects in India over the past two decades, with a focus in recent years on strengthening systems to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, USAID ranked fourth among Official Development Assistance (ODA) providers to India, contributing $228 million, next only to Japan, the European Union, and Germany.” Read more: Debdutta Chakraborty, ThePrint
People & Politics -
“A riot broke out in Nagpur, Maharashtra’s second capital and the headquarters of the RSS, on the evening of March 17. Hours earlier, a rally had been held in the city’s Mahal area by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, seeking the destruction of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, during which the protesters had burnt an effigy of Aurangzeb. Rumours, however, spread that the holy Quran had been desecrated, leading to the riot. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the State Home Minister, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, both of whom are from Nagpur, appealed for peace and urged the people not to pay attention to rumours. But the appeal lacks weight, given that it is the BJP’s various leaders who have persistently stoked communal tension over the past month with their provocative speeches… The recent communal tensions have certainly helped the State government to avert criticism over farmer suicides, the increasing cases of atrocities against women, and other pressing issues… Professor Sanjiv Chandorkar, a social economist, said the communal tension was engineered to shift attention from these incidents.” Read more: Amey Tirodkar, Frontline
“A new advisory from the Union government asking states to reduce cooking oil in mid-day meals by 10 percent has sparked outrage among nutrition and food advocacy experts. The advisory, issued under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speeches warning about rising childhood obesity. Officials claim the move is aimed at tackling obesity in children. However, critics argue it unfairly targets underprivileged children who rely on these meals for essential nutrition… On the ground, experts warn that the policy ignores the fundamental role of fats in a child’s diet. “The government’s approach assumes that obesity is the primary health issue for all children, ignoring the essential role of fats in growth and development,” said Dr Veena Shatrugna… Experts argue that obesity is primarily a concern for urban children who have access to processed and fast food. Rather than tackling root issues, they say, the government’s advisory is punishing the most disadvantaged. Mid-day meal workers at government schools pointed out that for many children, it is the most substantial meal of the day. However, the new directive could render it tasteless.” Read more: Chetana Belagere, South First
“The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to stay trial court proceedings against BJP Minister Kapil Mishra in relation to an FIR filed against him in 2020 over his tweets that the AAP and Congress parties had created a “mini Pakistan” at Shaheen Bagh and that the then Assembly polls would be a contest between “India and Pakistan”. Justice Ravinder Dudeja refused to stay trial court proceedings against Mishra and issued notice on his petition challenging an order passed by the special judge earlier this month, dismissing his revision plea against a magisterial order summoning him in the matter… While dismissing Mishra's revision plea, the special judge observed that the word 'Pakistan' was very skillfully weaved by him in his alleged statements to spew hatred, careless to communal polarisation that may ensue in the election compaign, only to garner votes. The FIR was registered against Mishra after a letter was received from the office of Returning Officer alleging that he violated the Model Code of Conduct and Representation of People Act.” Read more: Nupur Thapliyal, LiveLaw
“A 43-year-old worker died, while his brother and their cousin’s nephew were injured after entering a manhole in south-east Delhi’s New Friends Colony on Sunday evening. Police said the victims were contractual workers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and were sent to repair a leakage. But the water utility has denied any connection to the incident and maintained that the workers were neither their regular staff nor their contractual workers… According to police and locals, the deceased, Panth Lal Chander, entered the manhole to rescue his brother Ramkishan Chander (37) and their cousin’s nephew Shiv Das (25), who were trapped by toxic fumes while repairing the leakage… At the AIIMS Trauma Centre, family of the deceased was inconsolable. Panth leaves a wife and five children and he was the sole breadwinner of the family. His brother, Ramkishan, is critical and undergoing treatment… Entering manholes without protective equipment is strictly prohibited under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The law bans manual scavenging and mandates the use of protective gear and mechanised cleaning methods to prevent hazardous exposure.” Read more: Hindustan Times
Tech -
“Grok is an offering of Elon Musk’s xAI, which has been called the “world’s most powerful AI datacentre”. It is meant to answer questions, but users on X can pose these questions in the form of posts – as they would to any other X user. It also participates in conversations, furthering discussions with cues from its own earlier responses. In the last few of days, with the cavalier confidence that only a non-human entity can show, Grok has said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is more honest than Modi, that Gandhi’s formal educational qualifications stand him in better stead than Modi and that research shows that Brahmins are the community that practice the most discriminatory practices in India… In its website, Grok’s makers claim that it takes its reasoning from “first principles” – fundamental truths that cannot be derived from anything else. “We challenge conventional thinking by breaking down problems to their fundamental truths, grounded in logic,” it says. All of which is not the best news for India’s current Hindutva-dominated media and social media eco-system wherein just last week, sites were scrubbed off material critical of a billionaire heir’s private animal sanctuary which the prime minister had visited.” Read more: Soumashree Sarkar, The Wire
“The Supreme Court on Monday emphasised that courts should not issue gag orders against media organisations and underlined that fair criticism of a judicial order cannot be construed as contempt of court, expressing concerns over a Delhi high court directive requiring Wikipedia to remove within 36 hours a page related to a pending ₹2 crore defamation suit filed by news agency Asian News International (ANI) against the platform. “Why should courts be touchy about some comments made against their orders in social media?” asked a bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, highlighting the importance of free speech rights for media organisations. The top court observed that it was “ironical” that ANI, itself a media entity, was seeking a gag order against another platform that disseminates information… The bench made it clear that judicial criticism, even when directed at a court’s proceedings, does not automatically amount to contempt as it admitted an appeal filed by Wikimedia Foundation against the high court’s order… The Supreme Court’s intervention came after Wikipedia challenged the Delhi high court’s order, which directed the platform to take down a page discussing the defamation suit filed by ANI.” Read more: Utkarsh Anand, Hindustan Times
Bonus -
“Since the turn of the century, the assertion that India is on its way to becoming a great power has become a cliché. The media is saturated with triumphalist narratives of India’s growing influence and status in the world… Scholars of international relations do not have a standard measure to determine if a country is a rising power – that is, one accumulating material capabilities at a pace to close the gap with the existing great powers… In the 1990s, the mainstream foreign policy discourse in Washington had considered India marginal to global geopolitics, mirroring the attitude of the Clinton White House. India was “neither rich enough to bribe, powerful enough to bully, nor principled enough to inspire” other states, declared a 1997 article in the Foreign Affairs magazine… With the arrival of the Bush administration, a new outlook towards India began to permeate into mainstream think tanks, Wall Street, and even popular media. The American presidency always comes with a powerful bully pulpit to set the tone of the conversation in Washington… American boosterism is valuable to India. Indeed, New Delhi’s claim to Rising Power status would carry little weight in the world without endorsement from Washington. However, it is also important to recognise that the US narrative of India’s rise is informed by its own ideological, geopolitical, or commercial interests. Its volume and shape changes as American priorities change.” Read more: Sandeep Bhardwaj, The India Forum
Watch/Listen -