INDIA’S ENERGY FUTURE: Time to leapfrog in power

India is used to leapfrogging the world in technology. Let’s take phone penetration as an example. We were so behind the world on landlines and then mobile technology happened and our mobile phone adoption grew exponentially. Another example is internet adoption. We were so behind on internet and then smart phones happened and Indian consumers again jumped at it.
Why were we so late in adopting these old technologies and why new technology adoption was so fast? My big learning is India is a vast and complex country. Anything that requires huge on ground infrastructure build up takes enormous efforts and is very challenging. But you allow India’s entrepreneurial companies and the aspiring consumer to shake hands directly, without needing to move earth (literally), things move lightning fast.
And this is what can happen in the field of energy. Indians can leapfrog to self-generation through residential rooftop solar. The individual homeowners can generate their own high quality, 24X7 power and that too, cheaper than the grid.
This is not a farfetched dream. In fact, four big shifts are happening which will make this leapfrogging happen faster. Firstly, panels are becoming space efficient, allowing for more power generation per square foot of space. Secondly, solar costs are coming down make solar power cheaper. Thirdly battery technology is improving and becoming more cost effective and Lastly there is now a good base of solar installers across the country who can install high quality solar systems in homes. In addition, government is also doing its bit by offering subsidy of up to 40% on solar in homes. The combination of all these powerful factors will revolutionize how Indian homes produce and consume power in future.