Bridging Nations CEO Interview on India-US Strategic Dialogue

Bridging Nations CEO Dr. Prakash Ambegaonkar was interviewed by the US Department of State last week regarding the India-US Strategic Dialogue. Click play above to watch portions of this interview.

Indian Power Corporation Joins Hands With Israeli Company

India PR Wire: Sahara India Power Corporation Limited (SIPCL), a subsidiary of Sahara India Group, and Safesky software of Israel, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for promoting and manufacturing advanced solar power and other technologies for Indian users. In particular, the results would be seen in rural areas where the power deficit is very high. This advancement is far ahead of the present technology and will provide a solar power plant in a Sahara location in India.

India Energy Transformation

 Domestic solar facility

It is reported by WorldChanging that India is working on a large scale solar energy project that will revolutionize the power industry in the country, as well as provide an example for the world to follow. If the proposed changes come to life India would become the world leader in solar energy, followed by Germany, Spain, Japan, and the United States. An incredible amount of jobs would be created, domestic market size would grow, along with export manufacturing. The initiative includes the development and implementation of energy efficient products, buildings, and power generation. Also, a newly revised policy to upgrade India’s power grid, and a growing portfolio of Clean Development Mechanism Projects are included (click to see a new list of recently submitted CDM projects).

To get the initiative off the ground, India needs to be an upfront investment and a strong political will to carry the project out, with the proposed end date in year 2050. While costs would be extremely high to create the technology and necessary innovations, there would be a cost return on the investment and India would see much profit in the long run.


Expansion of India’s power-generation infrastructure puts it in a prime position to recreate how it produces and distributes energy. Unmet demands, estimated to as much as 80 percent of current installed capacity, along with concerns for shrinking supplies and increasing energy prices help speed the process. Government programs are already in place to encourage domestic solar manufacturing; these include small-scale solar lighting systems as well as commercial-scale solar plants.

A few things stand in the way of implementation and overall project’s success . First is the initial cos; India simply does not have the means or the machinery to start a project at such a national level. The state and national governments do not have strong communication, at this point, on the issue. Many government bans and tariffs make the creation of necessary products difficult. For example, generating capacity, ability to get power onto the grid, and to charge a fair price pushes facilities to remain with carbon-intensive facilities. Tax and tariff policies discourage the manufacturing of new products and as a result cutting edge technologies are not as sought after. Also, current electrical policies negatively influence (especially in rural areas) labor market goals.

Is a large-scale energy transformation possible for India? Will fossil fuels remain India's primary energy source or will smarter technologies prove more powerful?