The India Energy Hour Presented by 101Reporters

Methane is often overlooked in the climate change discourse, as against carbon. Methane is over 80 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 20-year period. Released from sources like livestock, landfills, and leaky oil and gas infrastructure, methane is a tricky problem to solve.  In this episode we understand what methane emissions are and how to plug them. Cutting methane emis...

Hydrogen is gaining significant traction as a key element in the global and Indian transition to clean energy. However, with different types of hydrogen production—green, grey, and blue—there’s much to unpack. Green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy sources, is widely regarded as the most sustainable option but is very expensive to produce. India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, with a ta...

As India eyes its net zero targets, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) is becoming central to decarbonizing core industries like steel, cement, and petrochemicals. While the technology holds immense promise, its adoption in India remains limited—hindered by cost concerns and lack of policy clarity. To understand the road ahead, we spoke with Mr. Atanu Mukherjee, CEO of Dastur Energy....

As India transitions toward a low-carbon future, the private sector’s role in embracing sustainability and ESG is paramount. While top corporations lead with ambitious net-zero goals, many small and mid-sized firms are yet to begin their sustainability and ESG journey — held back by data challenges, lack of awareness, and complex disclosure frameworks. To understand how Indian companies can embrac...

State-Owned Enterprises (SoEs) in the Oil & Gas sector play a critical role in ensuring energy security for the country. They are among the most diversified entities, spanning the entire oil & gas value chain—from upstream to downstream operations. But as India moves toward its net zero goals, the question arises: Can oil & gas SoEs diversify into clean energy sectors? What challenges...

The role of State-Owned Enterprises (SoEs) in India's energy transition cannot be overstated. SoEs, or Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), control majority of India’s fossil fuel production and provide millions of jobs across the country. As India accelerates its energy transition, these enterprises will play a crucial role in scaling the rapid deployment of clean energy. Historically, SoEs hav...

India's foray into renewable energy (RE) started with its thermal power giant NTPC Ltd. In the mid-2000s, NTPC, which is also the country's largest power generator, formed a division that would bundle RE with thermal and sell it together. Cut to 20 years later, NTPC has become the first public sector enterprise (PSEs) to publicly list its dedicated RE company. Most of the paradigm shifts i...

Climate crisis unfolding in India will first impact our plates!  Farms lands, agri commodities, coastal areas are in ten first line of impact from climate change induced extreme weather conditions. Not only does it spike the cost of food, several researchers say it alters its taste and texture too. Close to 60% of India population is dependent on farming as primary employment. Extreme weather is n...

The consecutive G20 presidencies of Indonesia (2022), India (2023), Brazil (2024), and South Africa (2025) has resulted in four consecutive G20 presidencies held by emerging economies. This moment is hailed by many as a grand opportunity for Global South countries to make a push on different topics including on energy transition, and climate action. Collectively, in the climate and energy space, t...

With Donald Trump scheduled to take over as the 47th President of the United States of America, there is widespread anxiety on the impact on global climate action. A climate change denier, Trump is a vocal supporter of fossil fuels and in his last tenure made US exit from the Paris Agreement on climate action. It is feared climate financing will take a serious hit. We talked with Anisha Dutta, a N...

Climate change is already impacting many rural areas of India. Farmers in rural areas of India are facing rise in temperatures and changes in rainfall that negatively impacts production as well as monetary returns. There are many ways to adapt to the impacts of climate change.  One way to assist farmers is the District Agro-met Units (DAMUs), a project of Indian Meteorological department. DAMUs pr...

Every year, between May to September, the same images make the rounds. The national capital first sweats and then drowns with even a few millimetres of rain. The city that never sleeps braces water logging every year without fail. The silicon valley of India while facing traffic snarls the whole year dreads the monsoon months which make it worse.  Why is it that India's megacities crumble unde...

This summer was all about breaking records - from temperature to electricity demand. India clocked the highest ever electricity demand of 260 Gw during the summer months, thanks to sweltering heat in all parts of the country.  But is it just the heat? Has the electricity usage behavior changed in the country? Are ACs shaping our power demand? Are the demand drivers shifting from commercial to dome...

Energy security remains a top priority for India as it seeks to balance growth with sustainability. A critical question emerges: Can India ensure energy security while also phasing down inefficient and uneconomical coal power plants? This issue involves not only understanding the current landscape of power production but also strategizing the retirement of outdated plants. In this insightful episo...

Can political leaders be taken to court over climate change impacts? Can the Indian Constitution recognize climate change under the right to live? A recent Supreme Court hearing explored these questions, sparking a national debate. The case ruled against the livelihood rights of an endangered bird, but what could laws against extreme weather and climate change mean for us? Join us as we discuss th...

Nearly 2.8 billion people around the world depend on solid fuels such as firewood and biomass for their cooking needs. Majority of such people reside in African and Asian countries including in India. India has made significant progress in enhancing access to modern fuels through policies that support greater use of LPG cylinders. However, several issues still remain. To understand the Indian clea...

Imagine a future where every rooftop is a mini power station, contributing to a cleaner and greener environment. This isn't just a dream—it's the potential of decentralized renewable energy projects. From innovative micrgrids to efficient rooftop solar panels, these solutions are revolutionizing the way we power our lives. To know more, We sat with Dr. Debajit Palit; He has a PhD in Energy...

India has ambitions to install 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Achieving this target would require large scale finance, sound policies and much more. To understand how India can achieve its renewable energy targets, we interviewed Vibhuti Garg, Director of South Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.  Vibhuti is an expert on energy pricing, adoption of new technolog...

Season 4 of The India Energy Hour Podcast is here.  To kickstart the season, the hosts are here to give a primer on what all to expect in India's journey towards energy transition.  It is the year of general elections in India. A lot of policies and political decisions hinge on that.  But there is other exciting stuff too. From India's maiden critical mineral auction to more engagement on...

This year’s Conference of Parties (COP28), hosted in the oil-rich UAE, was full of ironies. There were apprehensions over the host, which has oil wells in its backyard. The COP28 President was the CEO of the national oil company. It was expected that at least the rich nations would drive more climate finance. But the negotiations that unfolded over the 12 days and the outcome caught many by surpri...

India’s energy transition is central to global climate action. But where does India’s energy transition stand? What are the key challenges and opportunities in areas such as energy access, clean transportation and critical minerals. To understand the intricate dynamics of India's energy transition journey, we interviewed Aditya Ramji, Director of the India Zero Emission Vehicle Research Centre...

India's energy transition currently comprises a set of ambitious targets, the pathway for which is yet to be designed.  While at the Central level, there are a variety of policies, the real challenge lies in their execution. And at the execution level there are at least 28 different clogs to be taken care of.  States will need to play a larger role if India has to effectively meet its energy t...

Energy efficiency in India has become an important focus due to the country's growing energy demands, environmental concerns, and the need to reduce energy costs. Several initiatives and policies have been put in place to enhance energy efficiency across various sectors in India. In this episode, we interviewed Saurabh Kumar, India Head of Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) ,...

Climate tech is one of the emerging areas in the technology landscape offering a variety of new-age solutions for adapting to changing climate. Largely unexplored, climate tech has the potential to empower even the grassroot sectors with the ability to forecast and adapt to extreme weather and unprecedented climatic events. In this unique episode, we talked with Himanshu Gupta, the co-founder of C...

How many trillions would be required to reach zero? Are global dialogues enough to rake up funds? As countries race to meet their net carbon zero targets, it is the technological solutions and entrepreneurial ventures which could make it a reality. Capitalism has always been the antithesis of climate action. But what happens when you marry them both? To explore this, we talked with Akshat Rathi, S...