India is embarking on an unprecedented economic and environmental transformation, according to Niti Aayog, the government's policy thinktank. The country aims to expand its GDP nearly eightfold within a generation while simultaneously redirecting its energy and industrial systems to achieve net-zero emissions within two generations.
This ambitious strategy, detailed in a Niti Aayog report earlier this year, is described as having "no historical precedent." Previous industrialisation efforts by nations like China, Korea, Japan, and European countries did not combine rapid economic growth with a sustainable net-zero path.
Despite the climate emergency, evidenced by India hosting all of the planet's top 50 hottest cities on a single day in April, the country remains heavily reliant on coal. However, non-fossil fuel sources now constitute more than half of India's installed electricity capacity. The report projects India reaching a $30 trillion GDP by 2047, driven by increasing urbanisation, industrialisation, and living standards.