Inside India's astonishing solar revolution | Kanika Chawla
Sep 25, 2025•10 min
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Summary
Energy expert Kanika Chawla shares the remarkable story of how India transformed from a major coal consumer into a global solar leader, exceeding its ambitious targets by focusing on economic viability rather than ideology. She explains how innovative business models, strategic market design, and government experimentation helped overcome significant financing challenges. This approach provides a blueprint for other developing nations to achieve large-scale energy transitions through practical levers like planning, innovation, and localization.Episode description
In 2014, the world’s second largest coal consumer made a bold promise: to increase its solar capacity from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts in just eight years. Many people called it overly ambitious, but energy expert Kanika Chawla saw the opportunity of a lifetime. She tells the story of how India became a solar powerhouse, turning an expensive dream into an economic reality — and creating a model for other countries to follow suit.
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