TED Tech Inside India's astonishing solar revolution | Kanika Chawla
Jan 23, 2026
In this discussion, energy expert Kanika Chawla shares insights into India's remarkable solar journey, starting with their ambitious 2014 pledge to ramp up solar capacity. She explains how achieving this goal unlocked $90 billion in investments and created 300,000 jobs. Kanika emphasizes the economic reasons behind India's solar choice and highlights challenges like financing and utility payment delays. She also discusses innovative models in Ghana and Kenya that could guide other developing nations in their clean energy transitions.
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Ambitious Solar Bet Pays Off
- India committed to install 100 GW of solar by 2022 despite having only 3 GW installed in 2014.
- Kanika Chawla describes this audacious goal as the opportunity of a lifetime that succeeded.
Economics, Not Ideology, Drove The Shift
- India pursued solar for economic reasons, not ideology, because renewables made clear financial sense.
- Kanika Chawla frames the energy transition as driven by good economics more than by belief.
Market Design Unlocks Technology Gains
- Technology cost declines made solar cheapest, but market design and business models enabled deployment.
- Kanika Chawla emphasizes that policy and business innovation mattered as much as panels.