The India Energy Hour Presented by 101Reporters

India increasingly faces a peculiar paradox: surplus electricity during the afternoon, when solar generation is at its peak, and shortages during the evening, when demand rises and solar generation falls. Bridging this gap will require much more than adding renewable energy capacity. It requires rethinking how India generates, stores and delivers electricity.To discuss these shifts and their implications we’re joined by Dr. Nikit Abhyankar, Faculty at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. He is also the co-faculty director at the India Energy and Climate Center at UC Berkeley, where his work focuses on energy systems, electricity markets, clean energy transitions and energy policy.The discussion explores how renewable energy growth is reshaping India's electricity grid and why storage and demand flexibility are becoming increasingly important. It also examines the economics of thermal mimic auctions and whether India's clean energy innovations could offer lessons for other emerging economies.Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Created by 101Reporters. Produced by World Energy and Development Society Nikit Abhyankar on LinkedIn Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

If India is to achieve its net-zero target by 2070, many traditional industries, including state-owned fossil fuel companies, will need to rapidly diversify their businesses. This shift will require a significant workforce transition within these companies as they venture into new sectors and build new capabilities.In this episode, we speak with Dr. Vinay Ranjan, former Director–Human Resources at Coal India Limited, about the workforce dimensions of this transition. Drawing on his experience of leading HR in both the public and private sectors, Dr. Ranjan discusses what business diversification means for employees, approaches to reskilling and workforce planning, and how strategies for managing this transition differ across the public and private sectors. Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Created by 101Reporters. Produced by World Energy and Development Society Vinay Ranjan on LinkedIn Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

India’s energy transition is driving growing demand for critical minerals, from copper and lithium to vanadium and other strategic resources. But securing these minerals requires more than discovering new deposits. India needs to strengthen the critical mineral value chain while building international partnerships for resources and technology. In Episode 107 of The India Energy Hour, Mr. Sanjiv Kumar Singh, former CMD of Hindustan Copper Limited, joins Dr. Sandeep Pai for a conversation on India’s critical minerals trajectory. Drawing on his experience at CMPDI, NTPC and Hindustan Copper, Mr. Singh discusses where India’s critical mineral strategy stands today and the gaps that need to be addressed. The conversation also covers deeper exploration, stronger processing and refining, and greater collaboration across India’s critical mineral value chain. Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Created by 101Reporters. Produced by World Energy and Development Society Sanjiv Kumar Singh on LinkedIn Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

Sudarshan Varadhan, Asia Energy Correspondent at Reuters, reports on energy markets and renewable transitions across developing economies. He explores rooftop solar’s rise from Pakistan and Sri Lanka to South Africa and Indonesia, its role in energy independence, China’s solar dominance, and the market forces shaping adoption. The conversation also examines India’s rooftop schemes, implementation hurdles, and how states could advance decentralized power.

What does it take to make a just transition actually work?For a state like Jharkhand, this is not an abstract question. Coal is deeply woven into its economy, livelihoods and the identity of entire communities.But as the energy system changes, what happens to the people, places and economies built around coal?In 2022, the Government of Jharkhand constituted the Task Force on Sustainable Just Transition to help answer that question. Bringing together multiple government departments and stakeholders, the Task Force is working to assess the impacts of transition, identify new opportunities and develop policy pathways for a more sustainable and equitable future.In this episode of India Energy Hour, we speak with Ramapati Kumar, CEO, Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED), about how the Task Force has evolved and what its future role could look like as Jharkhand’s just transition takes shape. Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Created by 101Reporters. Produced by World Energy and Development Society Ramapati Kumar is on LinkedIn Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

India’s energy transition is entering a new phase. The challenge is no longer simply about adding more renewable energy capacity, but about making the power system flexible enough to absorb and use that energy effectively. This also means rethinking the role of conventional sources, investing in storage, and understanding how states are shaping their transition through policies and distributed renewable energy. In this episode of The India Energy Hour, we speak with Ruchita Shah, Energy Analyst with Ember’s Asia team, where she focuses on accelerating the global electricity transition, particularly in Asia, with a focus on India. She delves into why flexibility is becoming central to India’s power system, and how rooftop solar and other distributed renewables are changing the way we plan for electricity.Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Presented by 101ReportersRuchita Shah is on LinkedIn Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube.Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

India's energy transition is unfolding against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, volatile energy markets, and growing electricity demand. How should India navigate these competing pressures? In this episode, we are joined by Bill Spindle, a journalist who spent decades at The Wall Street Journal covering global finance, conflicts in West Asia, and, later, the global energy transition. We examine how regional conflicts are reshaping India's energy security. We also discuss the evolving role of coal and renewables, and why India's energy choices could determine the success of the global clean energy transition.Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Presented by 101ReportersBill Spindle is on LinkedIn. Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

As India races towards a cleaner energy future, the conversation often revolves around solar and wind. But are we overlooking a reliable, round-the-clock source of clean energy that lies beneath our feet?In this episode of The India Energy Hour, Karthik Ganesan, Fellow and Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), joins Dr. Sandeep Pai to discuss the untapped potential of geothermal energy in India. Drawing on CEEW's recent report, The Future of Geothermal in India: Powering Economic Growth and Prosperity with Abundant Domestic Energy, he explains why geothermal deserves a place in India's clean energy mix.The conversation explores India's geothermal potential, its role in providing reliable clean energy, the challenges to scaling the sector, and the policies needed to accelerate its growth.Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Presented by 101ReportersKartik Ganesan is on LinkedIn and Twitter. Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

Over the past decade, India has emerged as one of the world's leading renewable energy markets. Clear policy direction, competitive markets, and strong public and private investment have helped drive this transformation. But as the energy transition enters its next phase, new challenges are emerging—from grid modernization and energy storage to affordable finance and regional cooperation.In this episode, we are joined by Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and one of the key architects of India's flagship National Solar Mission. With over three decades of experience in renewable energy policy and international cooperation, she shares insights from India's clean energy journey and discusses what lies ahead for India and the Global South.Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Presented by 101ReportersGauri Singh is on LinkedIn and Twitter. Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin

Energy transition of India, like any other country in the world is currently marred with wars, energy map reset and new challenges of AI and climate financing. Every nation is back on the drawing board to plan their energy future and climate action in a warming, conflicting world. As The India Energy Hour enters the century club, informed conversations tracking the transition, especially of the Global South led by India become more important than ever. To get an overview of how far India has come in its transition journey, the lessons that have been learnt along the way and what lies ahead, we hosted a guest who has seen the inside and outside of policymaking and its real-world implementation. From working in the IT sector to the corridors of the Parliament, from India’s federal ministry of finance to civil aviation and now in the global climate finance universe, Jayant Sinha has donned several hats. He is currently President, Everstone Group and Visiting Professor in Practice, London School of Economics. He is the former minister of state for finance and civil aviation, Government of India (2014 to 2019) and was also chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Parliament of India (2019 to 2024). Sinha is also a prolific writer and his columns on green finance, transition modelling and AI have appeared in leading mainstream publications and research organisations. Full transcript of the episode is available in English. Presented by 101ReportersJayant Sinha  is on LinkedIn and Twitter. Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin