India to witness fastest rise in energy demand by 2040: IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast India’s energy demand to grow at the fastest pace globally over the next two decades in line with the country’s economic expansion.

“India has made remarkable progress in recent years, bringing electricity connections to hundreds of millions of people and impressively scaling up the use of renewable energy, particularly solar,” said Fatih Birol, executive director, IEA. India has an opportunity to meet its targets without following the high-carbon pathway that other economies have pursued in the past, he added.

In a report titled “The India Energy Outlook 2021″, released on Tuesday, the IEA said rapid expansion of solar power combined with favourable policies is transforming India’s electricity sector, allowing the country to offer clean, affordable and reliable power to a growing number of households and businesses.