Sagar Adani of Adani Green Energy said India's energy foundation is crucial for national resilience. He stressed that a robust 'energy backbone' is a necessity to achieve developed economy status by 2047 and address key developmental constraints.
Energy foundation is crucial for India's national resilience, said Sagar Adani, Executive Director, Adani Green Energy, during his address at "The Economist: Resilient Futures Summit" on Wednesday.
Addressing a gathering of industry leaders, Adani emphasized that "India's answer to all of its foundational challenges is energy", and this will define the national resilience in the 21st century.
He noted that recent global conflicts and energy market shocks have shifted the priority for nations from the speed of growth to the ability to withstand structural disruptions. Adani highlighted that for India, a nation defined by its aspirations, building a robust "energy backbone" is a necessity to achieve developed economy status by 2047.
Energy: The Answer to India's Developmental Challenges
He noted that almost every major developmental constraint, from water and food security to digital leadership and economic stability, converges into the need for reliable power. "If you step back and look at India's development challenge, almost every major constraint converges into one: Energy. Water security needs energy--for desalination, treatment, and distribution. Food security needs energy--for fertilizers, irrigation, and logistics. Digital leadership needs energy--for data centres, AI, and computing infrastructure. Economic stability needs energy--to ensure that growth remains affordable for the common citizen," Adani stated.
The Scale of Future Energy Requirement
The scale of this requirement is significant. Adani highlighted that currently India's per capita energy consumption remains approximately one-third of the global average and one-fifth of China's. He explained that the country must add "nearly 2,000 gigawatts of new capacity over the next two decades" to support its structural leap toward development.
A Pragmatic 'Portfolio Approach' is Essential
This transition requires a pragmatic portfolio approach that leverages renewables, hydro, efficient thermal, and nuclear power to ensure stable baseload electricity. "Renewables will--and must--scale rapidly. Storage technologies will continue to evolve. But there are real constraints--particularly around land and intermittency. Which means that to truly close the gap, India must adopt a portfolio approach. We must fully leverage every energy source available to us: Renewables. Hydro. Efficient thermal. And nuclear. Because without firm, scalable baseload power, the math simply does not work," he added.
Adani Group's $100 Billion Commitment to Energy Transition
Addressing the private sector's contribution, Adani mentioned that the Adani Group has committed over USD 100 billion toward the energy transition. This integrated strategy includes building renewable energy portfolios, expanding transmission networks, and developing green hydrogen ecosystems.
He also credited the Indian government's policy direction and the reduction of regulatory hurdles over the last decade for creating an environment where private enterprises can flourish, and infrastructure can be built at speed. "At our core, we see ourselves not just as operators of infrastructure, but as builders of India's energy backbone for the next several decades. Our Chairman, Gautam Adani, has committed over USD 100 billion towards the energy transition--one of the largest private-sector commitments globally. But more importantly, this is not a set of isolated investments. It is an integrated strategy," Adani said.
He noted that India's success in delivering abundant, affordable, and clean energy will not only secure its own future but also help stabilize the global economy. (ANI)
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