Abstract

This commentary situates Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, in the Indian context. Keeping in view the imperatives of its economic growth, considered necessary to eliminate widespread poverty and achieve real income growth, it examines the challenges of ensuring equitable access to different useful forms of energy while also keeping the prices low, as a large section of the population is still deprived of access to energy. While assessing the impact of recent government policies and programmes in the Indian energy sector, the authors discuss how the energy agenda needs to be reframed with a focus on renewable energy development. They identify the key sectors where this transition will take place along with possible ways forward to effectively transition to sustainable energy.