In its recent report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) examined the opportunities and challenges that India would face in its energy productions and usages. In the next 20 years and as compared to many countries India’s demand for energy would have the largest increase and, in turn, this would lead to greater prosperity and development. The IEA has also praised India for its remarkable progress to bring electricity connections to millions of people. Most importantly India has admirably scaled up the use of renewable energy, particularly solar. In this background, it is ironic that in the recent budget the Finance Minister (FM) announced that solar equipment would be costlier. This price increase is unwarranted more so when there is an active ministry for New and Renewable Energy which is pushing for alternate sources of energies. India has planned several mega solar projects in different States and with the proposed surges in the price of solar equipment the cost would escalate. Hope this increase has not been at the behest of the private electricity distribution and oil companies. The FM and if necessary the PM could intervene to do a rethink and decrease the price. This would help boost the use of solar energy by the people for which some of the States are providing handsome subsidies, assistance and even buy the excess energy produced by those using solar power.
