Budgeting for Net Zero: Powering India's reliable clean energy future

This report assesses the cost competitiveness and economic impact of firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE)—combining solar, wind, and storage—as an alternative to coal-based power in India through 2050.

• The cost competitiveness of FDRE compared to new coal depends on the ability to sell surplus power generated by oversizing solar and wind capacity. Selling 100% of surplus makes FDRE currently cheaper, selling 50% makes it cheaper by 2030, and selling 30% delays cost parity until 2048.
• When accounting for externalities such as carbon costs, morbidity, and mortality, the price of coal increases from INR 4.65/kWh to INR 13.19/kWh, which renders FDRE competitive across all analyzed scenarios.
• Scaling FDRE is projected to provide economic benefits over a baseline scenario, including an annual GDP increase of 0.5% in 2032, 1% by 2038, and 1.8% by 2050, while creating 64,000 net jobs by 2050 after accounting for losses in the coal sector.
• FDRE projects offer significantly shorter deployment timelines than coal plants, taking 2 to 2.5 years to build (including storage) compared to 5 to 7 years for coal-based plants.

APA

Sekar,, S. M. G. B. L. R. R. P. C. (2025). Budgeting for Net Zero: Powering India's reliable clean energy future. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/india-budgeting-for-net-zero-fdre

Chicago

Sekar,, Sunil Mani,Anasuya Gangopadhyay,Andrea Bassi,Tara Laan,Swasti Raizada,Upasna Ranjan,Godwin Paul Chandra. Budgeting for Net Zero: Powering India's reliable clean energy future. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/india-budgeting-for-net-zero-fdre.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sekar, |first1=Sunil Mani,Anasuya Gangopadhyay,Andrea Bassi,Tara Laan,Swasti Raizada,Upasna Ranjan,Godwin Paul Chandra |title=Budgeting for Net Zero: Powering India's reliable clean energy future |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=8 December 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/india-budgeting-for-net-zero-fdre |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sekar2025budgeting, author = {Sekar,, Sunil Mani,Anasuya Gangopadhyay,Andrea Bassi,Tara Laan,Swasti Raizada,Upasna Ranjan,Godwin Paul Chandra}, title = {{Budgeting for Net Zero: Powering India's reliable clean energy future}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/india-budgeting-for-net-zero-fdre}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }