174
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
• The Draft National Energy Policy (version 27.06.2017) (Aayog 2017) mentions
that,
With nearly 304 million Indians without access to electricity, and about 500 million people,
still dependent on solid bio-mass for cooking, it may be acknowledged that the country has
to still go a long way on securing its energy security objective.
Energy consumption in India is characterized by low per capita level and a large disparity
between urban and rural areas. In 2015–16, our per capita energy and electricity consumption
at 670 kilogram and at 1075 kilowatt-hour/year, respectively, are just one third of the world
average. Nearly 25% of our population today is without access to electricity and 40% without
access to clean cooking fuel.
• The Economic Survey
16 report of 2018–2019 appropriately highlights the energy
poverty:
Energy poverty has been more pervasive in India than income poverty: 53% of our population
could not access clean cooking in 2017 when compared to 30% for China, four per cent
for Brazil and less than one per cent for Malaysia. With an increase of per capita energy
consumption by 2.5 times, India will be able to increase its real per capita GDP by US$ 5000
(in 2010 prices). Additionally, if India has to reach the HDI level of 0.8, it has to increase
its per capita energy consumption by four times.
A plain reading of economic survey report [Government of India. “Economic
Survey 2018–19.” (2019)] makes it unambiguous that every Indian must consume
electricity or energy at least 2.5 times its current consumption rate. This means
provision of adequate gas and electricity in all households at an enormous cost that
country may not be prepared to invest in the coming decades. A snapshot of energy
status and issues mentioned in the economic survey report is provided in Box 5.
16 Ref—Published by the Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Economic Affairs
Economic Division North Block New Delhi-110001 E-mail: cordecdn-dea@nic.in.
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
• The Draft National Energy Policy (version 27.06.2017) (Aayog 2017) mentions
that,
With nearly 304 million Indians without access to electricity, and about 500 million people,
still dependent on solid bio-mass for cooking, it may be acknowledged that the country has
to still go a long way on securing its energy security objective.
Energy consumption in India is characterized by low per capita level and a large disparity
between urban and rural areas. In 2015–16, our per capita energy and electricity consumption
at 670 kilogram and at 1075 kilowatt-hour/year, respectively, are just one third of the world
average. Nearly 25% of our population today is without access to electricity and 40% without
access to clean cooking fuel.
• The Economic Survey
16 report of 2018–2019 appropriately highlights the energy
poverty:
Energy poverty has been more pervasive in India than income poverty: 53% of our population
could not access clean cooking in 2017 when compared to 30% for China, four per cent
for Brazil and less than one per cent for Malaysia. With an increase of per capita energy
consumption by 2.5 times, India will be able to increase its real per capita GDP by US$ 5000
(in 2010 prices). Additionally, if India has to reach the HDI level of 0.8, it has to increase
its per capita energy consumption by four times.
A plain reading of economic survey report [Government of India. “Economic
Survey 2018–19.” (2019)] makes it unambiguous that every Indian must consume
electricity or energy at least 2.5 times its current consumption rate. This means
provision of adequate gas and electricity in all households at an enormous cost that
country may not be prepared to invest in the coming decades. A snapshot of energy
status and issues mentioned in the economic survey report is provided in Box 5.
16 Ref—Published by the Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Economic Affairs
Economic Division North Block New Delhi-110001 E-mail: cordecdn-dea@nic.in.