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This policy brief argues that India is uniquely positioned to lead in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by utilizing its low-cost solar power and abundant agricultural residue. The authors propose the power-and-biomass-to-liquids (PBtL) pathway as a cost-competitive alternative to fossil jet fuel and other SAF technologies, offering benefits for energy security, air quality, and climate targets.

This report evaluates a pilot project in Uttar Pradesh, India, that used the spare capacity of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) to power village grain mills, identifying both the socio-economic benefits and the operational constraints of such secondary power uses.

This policy brief by RMI evaluates the techno-economic potential of hydrogen trucking in India, comparing fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) and hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks against diesel, battery electric (BET), and LNG alternatives. The analysis finds that while FCETs are projected to be more cost-competitive than diesel for long-haul, heavy-duty applications by 2040, they currently face high total cost of ownership (TCO) due to expensive hydrogen fuel, infrastructure, and taxation. The document recommends a coordinated roadmap involving policy incentives, strategic infrastructure planning, and tailored financial solutions to enable hydrogen to complement electrification in decarbonizing India's freight sector.

This report evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions in Uttar Pradesh, India, which integrated solar-powered grain milling as a secondary use for solar irrigation pumps (SIPs). The study finds that utilizing idle solar capacity for milling reduces household costs, improves food freshness through smaller-batch processing, and enhances mobility and autonomy for women. However, sustained adoption is hindered by operational bottlenecks, such as operator unavailability and inconsistent grinding quality.

This policy brief evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions in Uttar Pradesh, India, which utilized the secondary capacity of solar-powered irrigation pumps (SIPs) to power community grain mills. The evaluation found that these solar mills reduced costs and travel distances for smallholders and improved women's autonomy, although operational challenges like operator availability and infrastructure limited sustained adoption. The document recommends integrating secondary productive uses into India's PM-KUSUM scheme to optimize solar asset utilization.

The Indian States’ Electricity Transition (SET) 2026 report evaluates 21 Indian states across three dimensions: decarbonisation, power ecosystem readiness and performance, and market enablers. It finds that progress is fragmented, with no single state demonstrating consistently strong performance across all three areas, highlighting the need for coordinated, dimension-specific interventions to achieve a system-wide transition.

This report chapter details the growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in India between FY2020 and FY2025, highlighting the role of central and state government subsidies and the specific vehicle segments driving the transition.

This report by RMI analyzes the techno-economic pathways for green hydrogen production in India, examining 17 states to evaluate the impact of national and subnational policies on production costs. It compares various project configurations—including stand-alone on-site, CTU-connected, and STU-connected projects—and highlights the critical role of transmission charge waivers and capital subsidies in achieving cost competitiveness against grey hydrogen.

This report describes a 'waste clinic' conducted by RMI's Waste Methane Initiative (WMI) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for municipal officials in Uttar Pradesh, India. The clinic used peer-to-peer exchange and expert guidance to diagnose solid waste management (SWM) challenges and develop actionable work plans across four priority areas: data collection, source segregation, organic waste treatment, and disposal.

This case study examines the 'Varanasi model' for scaling rooftop solar (RTS) in India under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. By coordinating state, district, and city administrations with utilities and banks, Varanasi significantly increased RTS installations between February and December 2024, providing a blueprint for other Indian districts to achieve renewable energy targets.

This briefing by RMI explores how distributed solar, particularly rooftop solar (RTS) and decentralized renewable energy (DRE), can alleviate the financial distress of India's electricity distribution companies (Discoms) while helping the country meet its 2030 renewable energy targets and modernize its grid.

The 2024 Indian States’ Electricity Transition (SET) report, published by IEEFA and Ember, assesses the progress of 21 Indian states across three dimensions: Decarbonisation, Readiness and Performance of the Power Ecosystem, and Market Enablers. The report identifies Gujarat and Karnataka as consistent top performers, while highlighting structural challenges in states like Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. It recommends strengthening state-level regulatory frameworks and developing specific state-level transition plans to accelerate the shift toward clean electricity.

This executive summary describes the States’ Electricity Transition (SET) Scoring system developed by Ember to evaluate the electricity transition across 16 Indian states, which represent 90% of India's annual power requirement. The analysis focuses on four dimensions: decarbonisation, power system performance, power ecosystem readiness, and policies and political commitments. While some states like Karnataka show strong performance across all metrics, others, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, require significant improvements in decarbonisation and system performance to meet national targets.

This report by Ember analyzes India's progress toward its 2022 renewable energy (RE) target of 175 GW and its 2030 target of 450 GW, highlighting a strong reliance on solar growth and significant disparities in progress across different states.

This report by Ember analyses state-wise renewable energy (RE) capacity in India as of March 2022, evaluating progress toward the national target of 175 GW by December 2022. It highlights significant regional disparities, with a small number of states driving most of the new capacity while many others fall well behind their targets.

This report analyzes the energy transition in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, highlighting the state's struggle to meet renewable energy targets despite its significant role in India's total power demand. The authors argue that UP's heavy reliance on coal-fired power creates financial and operational vulnerabilities, and they propose reforms for the state's distribution companies (Discoms) to facilitate a shift toward solar and biomass energy.

This supplementary annex to 'Mapping India’s Energy Subsidies 2021' provides detailed background and financial data for specific energy subsidies that changed significantly since 2020, covering electric buses, energy conservation, and oil and gas infrastructure and research.

This report analyzes electricity subsidies in India from FY 2016 to FY 2019, evaluating the impact of the Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme. It finds that direct tariff subsidies increased by 32% during this period, reaching INR 110,391 crore in FY 2019, while most electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) failed to meet financial performance targets regarding revenue recovery and loss reduction.

This briefing, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), examines the intersection of energy affordability and electricity pricing reform in India following the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the financial instability of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), the socio-economic impact of lockdowns on low-income households, and potential strategies for rationalizing tariffs and subsidies to ensure social sustainability during economic recovery.

This case study describes a climate-smart agriculture initiative led by the Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group (GEAG) in Campierganj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The project focuses on gender-responsive training to address increasing climate volatility, including unpredictable rains and flash floods, by empowering women who constitute over 40% of the local agricultural workforce.