Opinion | A gangrenous wound that could block India’s economic recovery

Ever since it returned to power with a thumping majority this summer, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been dealing with interruptions to rosy straight-line projections. A cyclical economic downturn exacerbated by continuing banking sector issues, a severe contraction in automobile sector demand, and, most recently, a seven-year low in industrial output appear to have jolted the government.

Even as the government scrambles to respond to this slowdown, structural impediments to long-term growth have been festering. One area where the wounds threaten to turn gangrenous is in the power sector. India’s power sector is a mixed tale of positive and negative developments over the last 10 years.