Geopolitical upheaval costs nations, leading to prolonged uncertainty and human suffering, which is compounded by food and energy crises. The fragility of West Asia’s economy is attributed to the devastating US-Israel-Iran war, which has caught humanity in an overt manifestation of a sociopolitical crisis and asymmetric power dynamics. in an overt manifestation of a sociopolitical crisis and asymmetric power dynamics.
Truly, the “world is at war”. The implications of this geopolitical crisis are far-reaching. Can Indian society insulate itself? In fact, ordinary citizens have already started experiencing the downside of this chaotic phase.
The raging war is marked by uncertainty and mistrust. Multiple ceasefire declarations have been made and violated. The combined LPG and LNG import bill has increased by about 50 per cent over the last six years, constituting around 3 per cent of India’s total import bill in FY 2025.
India imports about 60 per cent of its LPG consumption, and out of these imports, about 90 per cent come through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been impacted due to the current geopolitical situation and disruptions in supply chains. While the government is trying to increase its domestic production by 25 per cent, it appears a tall order, and this will take time.
The sight of bus and railway stations of India tells a story that we have all witnessed before. Labourers and domestic workers are thronging these places to head back ‘home’ – akin to the Covid days – albeit this time it is the ongoing energy crisis that is driving them there. The sense of belonging to their homeland beckons them as it gives a strong sense of safety.
They feel fellow villagers will help them out with food, and there is no dearth of alternative fuel-firewood in abundance. For many, the free cylinders distributed under the PM-UJWALA Yojana await, but how long will it last? Besides, the refilling cost is also not affordable for many. We have already seen restaurants and roadside food joints shutting down and cylinders being sold at three to five times the official rate in the black market.
The Indian government has been pushing for a shift towards electric-based cooking for the past few years through the Go Electric campaign or the National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP). However, the uptake has been low, with only 5 per cent of households opting for e-cooking. Now is the opportune moment to endorse and champion the shift towards electric-based cooking, which is cleaner, safer, and a more affordable framework laid for it. We just need to synchronise our efforts for the desired results and create a robust ecosystem for its market penetration and wider adoption.
The PM Surya Ghar scheme, initiated in February 2024, aims to install rooftop solar in 1 crore households.
It provides subsidies covering up to 40 per cent of the cost of solar panels, enabling households to generate their own electricity for e-cooking needs. Currently, the scheme has high inter-state disparities and high registration rates, and therefore lower conversion figures. It needs to be actively promoted, and both urban and rural households need to be roped into the scheme.
Similarly, the PM POSHAN Yojana is the world’s largest school feeding programme, serving hot cooked meals to approximately 11.8 crore children in around 11.2 lakh schools. If the component of rooftop solar installation is integrated into the scheme, it holds huge potential in adding to India’s revised NDC target of 60 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035.
Another large government scheme is the PM AWAS Yojana, providing “Housing for All,” with over 2.82 crore rural houses completed under PMAY-G and around 95.51 lakh urban houses completed under
PMAY-U.PMAY-U 2.0 has recently begun, targeting an additional 1 crore beneficiaries, while the rural programme aims for 4.95 crore houses by 2029. If this scheme is linked to the ongoing PM Surya Ghar scheme, it will create a holistic mechanism for RE integration into houses at subsidized rates.
Convergence of existing government schemes would be a smarter way forward in nudging people towards adopting a cleaner, greener lifestyle, apart from contributing to India’s NDC targets as well.
Focusing on Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) will ensure there is energy access across the country by reaching out to the most vulnerable. As a matter of fact, the adoption of e-cooking will lead to an increase in peak power and demand by 27GW.
DRE addresses the current concern of increased load on the power grid with the transition to electric cooking. Further, battery-supported and solar hybrid systems can make e-cooking feasible and ensure grid stability. A strong policy push and incentives can help deal with high up-front costs, facilitating wider adoption.
The wise move at this juncture is to set longer-term goals and ensure energy security, a critical imperative for growth, particularly for an emerging economy like India. A nation-wide campaign on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and health, as well as environmental gains, could build greater resilience.
(The writers are, respectively, a Senior Fellow and a Research Associate at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi. Views are personal.)
Jayanta Mitra and Apoorva Singh
