The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, pleading for a review of the judgement in March that banned BS-III vehicles. Siam says certain facts were not covered in the judgement that went to the root of the matter. The order had stopped original equipment manufacturers to sell any BS-III vehicles after March 31.

Publication: Business Standard

Assured availability of quality power to people is the basic feature of a smart city, apart from slum-free city environment, proper delivery of services like clean water, affordable housing and meeting the needs of children, women and the aged, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya said today.

Publication: ET Energy World

The opportunity to build sustainable energy solutions and the ambitious plans of the centre lured Rupesh Agarwal into the solar energy sector, after he had spent more than 17 years in management consulting. Agarwal, India head of UK-based Lightsource Renewable Energy, one of the world’s largest solar photovoltaic energy generators, was earlier instrumental in setting up and leading renewable energy practice at consulting firms EY and BDO.

Publication: Live Mint

India’s solar power sector turned a corner on 10 February with record low winning bids of Rs3.30 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for building a 750 megawatts (MW) plant at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. Expectedly, it offered a template, with France’s Solairedirect SA going on to win the rights to set up a 250MW of solar plant at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, and sell power to state run NTPC Ltd at the new record-low tariff of Rs3.15 per kWh in an auction this month.

Publication: Live Mint

The solar energy sector that has seen the entry of start-ups and foreign firms alike has not missed the attention of India’s large conglomerates. The Mahindra group, Hero Group and Aditya Birla Group are among those who have set up renewable energy firms, hired technical experts and are scouting for acquisitions.

Publication: Live Mint

The renewable energy sector reported a record capacity addition of over 11 gigawatt (gw) in fiscal 2017, an increase of around 60% over the previous year. The addition is neck and neck with thermal power capacity addition of 11.5 GW in FY2017, which has declined from the peak capacity addition of 22.5 gw in FY2016.

Publication: DNA

The proposal to sell electric vehicles without batteries, relying instead on leasing the crucial component, could well be the policy push that could help shift the transport sector away from fossil fuels. This policy innovation will make electric vehicles cheaper by as much as 70% without resorting to subsidies. The decision to start off with the public transport, specifically city buses, is a good scaled-up pilot, allowing government to absorb initial infrastructure costs, and provides an opportunity to tweak the system to meet local requirements.

Publication: The Economic Times

Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Limited (KGEPSL), a venture of auto major, Firodia group announced a launch of its first electric three-wheeler with the advanced Lithium-Ion Battery. The company claimed that this technology will have a revolutionary impact on green mobility for masses in the country.

Publication: The Economic Times

The futures of solar power and electric vehicles (EV) in India are closely interlinked, given that EVs have batteries that can offer a storage solution to India’s clean energy push.Solar power generated during day needs to be stored in batteries. Storage capability of EV batteries could help with grid balancing, complementing the centre’s push for solar power.

Publication: Live Mint

At a time when addition of coal-fuelled power generation capacity has come to a standstill globally, India is seeing a race to the bottom in solar power prices. The latest was the record low tariff of Rs3.15 per kilowatt hour (kWh), quoted by France’s Solairedirect SA on 12 April to win the rights to set up 250 megawatt (MW) of solar plants at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh and sell power to state-run NTPC Ltd. The tariff is expected to fall below Rs3 a unit during auctions for the Bhadla solar parks in Rajasthan.

Publication: Live Mint

Oil and gas companies across the world are turning out to be the new backers of the clean energy industry, as the transportation sector looks set to move away from fossil fuel guzzlers to electric powered vehicles. Big oil’s diversification of product portfolio is expected to benefit the clean energy industry in India, which is undergoing the largest capacity expansion drive.

Publication: Live Mint

The renewable energy sector reported a record capacity addition of over 11 gigawatt (gw) in fiscal 2017, an increase of around 60% over the previous year. The addition is neck and neck with thermal power capacity addition of 11.5 GW in FY2017, which has declined from the peak capacity addition of 22.5 gw in FY2016.

Publication: DNA

As India pursues its ambitious solar energy plans, the national grid is girding up for a smooth transition to a low carbon economy. It’s a transition that is changing the face of the transmission business at every step, from the drawing board to costs and technology.

Publication: Live Mint

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Wednesday filed a petition seeking a review of the Supreme Court’s order that banned the sale and registration of all BS-III (Bharat Stage III emission norms) vehicles after March 31, 2017. The SC had on April 13 also directed authorities not to register any vehicle which failed to meet BS-IV emission standards on and from April 1, except on proof that such a vehicle has already been sold on or before March 31.

Publication: The Financial Express

Cab-hailing company Ola has set up a subsidiary for its electric car segment, reports Hindu Business Line. In March, CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said that the company will debut these cars in several Indian cities and start scaling up its operations. SoftBank Group chairman Masayoshi Son said that Ola may add up to 1 million electric cars on the road. Note that Ola also has a strategic tie-up with Mahindra & Mahindra, which manufactures electric cars in India.

Publication: Medianama

The significant drop in solar power tariffs in the past few months is a reflection of huge pent-up demand in the system, according to Sunil Jain, CEO and ED of Hero Future Energies Ltd. Speaking on the sidelines of a CII meet on rooftop solar projects here on Tuesday, Jain said, “I am keeping my fingers crossed. You may see a lower price offer in the latest bidding process, which is now under way at Bhadla in Rajasthan. This may see a new low once the reverse bidding process is completed.”

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

India is making a big push for solar energy, with power capacity expected to double this year. But some of the gains, especially in north India, could be offset by a growing problem: air pollution. A new study, the first of its kind in India and one of a handful globally, has found that dust and particulate matter (PM) may be reducing the energy yield of solar power systems in north India by 17-25 per cent annually.

Publication: The Economic Times

Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Wednesday said upcoming technologies like manufacturing of robotics and improved cost-efficiency in renewable energy will reshape geopolitics. “Every two years, for example, solar installation rates are doubling, and photovoltaic-module costs are falling by about 20 per cent,” Ansari said while delivering an address on ‘Some Thoughts on the World of Tomorrow’ at Yerevan State University (Armenia) where he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

Publication: ET Energy World

Five major exhibitions — ‘Buildings India’, ‘Solar India’, ‘Transport India’, ‘Smart Cities India’, and ‘Water India’ — will be held at the International Smart Cities expo here in which 40 countries will participate, it was announced. “One Mega Event: Smart Cities Expo 2017″, organised by Exhibitions India Group and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), will be held from May 10-12 at Pragati Maidan.

Publication: BGR

Electric cars are coming fast — and that’s not just the opinion of carmakers anymore. Total SA, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is now saying EVs may constitute almost a third of new-car sales by the end of the next decade. The surge in battery powered vehicles will cause demand for oil-based fuels to peak in the 2030s, Total Chief Energy Economist Joel Couse said at Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s conference in New York on Tuesday. EVs will make up 15 percent to 30 percent of new vehicles by 2030, after which fuel “demand will flatten out,” Couse said. “Maybe even decline.”

Publication: Bloomberg Quint

India’s solar power capacity addition would remain strong in a range between 7,000 Megawatt (Mw) and 7,500 Mw on the back of a huge portfolio of projects awarded recently, research and ratings agency ICRA has said. “While currently there is a temporary lull in the announcement of fresh bids, the magnitude of solar project awards in the past 12-18 months has been quite significant. The backlog against these awards itself would support a solar capacity addition of about 7-7.5 Gigawatt in grid connected utility segment in 2017-18,” ICRA said.

Publication: ET Energy World

With India’s wind power tariffs following the solar route and falling to a record low, state-run Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) has been a catalyst for expanding the country’s green economy. Ashvini Kumar, managing director of SECI, believes that sub Rs3 per unit tariff for solar will become the new normal.

Publication: Live Mint

India’s race to the bottom for solar power prices has resulted in some unintended consequences. These range from some electricity distribution companies (discoms) wavering on signing power purchase agreements for projects awarded at higher tariffs to postponement of some tenders, according to consulting firm Bridge to India.

Publication: Live Mint

Another auction, another record. Tariffs in the Indian renewables sector are in free fall and the appetite of private developers to secure large, grid-connected solar and wind power projects by offering rock bottom unit prices shows no signs of slackening. In the latest instance, the India arm of France’s Engie SA won a contract to build a 250 megawatt solar power project in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh for a flat Rs 3.15 per kilowatt-hour last week through competitive reverse bidding. Energy minister Piyush Goyal announced this on Twitter on April 11.

Publication: Scroll.in

According to credit-rating body ICRA, the growth of the renewable energy (RE) sector was driven by the large capacity additions in the wind and solar power segments. The RE sector in FY2017 reported a record capacity addition of over 11 GW, an increase of around 60 percent over 7.1 GW reported in FY2016, as per the provisional figures by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Publication: DNA

Tapping the push given to electric vehicles by the Indian Government, Jaipur-based lighting solutions company Autolite India has diversified into the manufacture of e-rickshaws from early this month. Powered by lead acid batteries, the e-rickshaws are being marketed in three states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh through the company’s distribution network of 7 dealers.

Publication: ET Auto

In an Elon Musk-like move, the Narendra Modi-led government plans switch introduce a programme meant to switch two- and three-wheelers and buses to battery power by 2030. The plan relies upon keeping off subsidies and depending on a battery leasing strategy. The scheme is likely to be rolled out in a couple of months and offers limited tax breaks for auto companies, The Economic Times reported Tuesday.

Publication: Money Control

The Government of India is reportedly planning to lease electric vehicles and promote the use of low-emission hybrid and completely electric vehicles in India. With rising pollution levels particularly in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, the government is reportedly planning a shift to electric vehicles from the conventional petrol and diesel-powered cars. The plan is apparently in nascent stages, although talks are under way.

Publication: Digit

In a sign of growing overseas investor interest in the Indian clean energy space, UK Green Investment Bank Plc. (GIB) plans to become an anchor investor in the Indian operations of UK-based Lightsource Renewable Energy. This comes in the backdrop of a Macquarie-led consortium agreed to acquire GIB from the UK government for £2.3 billion last week. Lightsource Renewable Energy is among the largest global solar power project developers and announced its plans to develop 1,000 megawatt (MW) capacity in India.

Publication: Live Mint

Narendra Modi is not the first Chief Minister to have gone on to become Prime Minister. But given his well-known disdain for the erstwhile Planning Commission’s control-and-command approach towards States and his oft-repeated emphasis on ‘cooperative federalism’, there were great expectations from the successor organisation, the NITI Aayog. The Five Year Plans — the last one ended on March 31 — were relegated to history, to be replaced by a three-year action plan. This was to be part of a seven-year strategy that would in turn help realise a 15-year long-term vision.

Publication: The Hindu

Are electric cars ready to stand on their own? If you took a spin down to the New York International Auto Show last week and saw the $37,500 Chevy Bolt (electric) parked next to the strikingly similar $17,000 Chevy Cruze (gasoline), the answer is probably a hard no. The Bolt is arguably a better car than the Cruze—but not $20,000 better. Edmunds, the car-research company, recently weighed in with a hard no of its own, warning that the elimination of a  7,500 US tax credit is “likely to kill [the] US EV market.”

Publication: Live Mint

The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to revise the state’s solar power policy to align it with the policies of other states. Minister of Additional Sources of Energy Brajesh Pathak said, “The Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency has been acting as a project execution functionary till now. We are looking to increase the ambit of the agency and seek budgetary allocation to operate standalone.” Meeting targets “The previous government was not focussed on renewable energy and not been able to meet even 10 per cent of the state’s targets for renewable energy. This year, we will come closer to the targets set till now,” he told BusinessLine in an interview.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday said its Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre has developed an android app for computing the solar energy potential of a place. Developed at the behest of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the app is considered to be a “very useful” tool for installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that is used for tapping solar energy, it said. The ISRO said the app provides monthly and yearly solar potential and the minimum and the maximum temperatures at any location.

Publication: The Hindustan Times

Edmunds, the car-research company, warned that the elimination of a $7,500 US tax credit is “likely to kill (the) US EV market.“ Edmunds pinned its argument on what happened in Georgia, a state that became an unlikely leader in electric cars thanks to an extra $5,000 incentive. At one point, almost 4% of new cars being sold in Georgia were electric. Then they pulled away the punch bowl. But a very illuminating thing happened after Georgia’s incentives expired. Teslas were barely affected by the loss of the tax credit. In fact, more people are buying Teslas in Georgia today than during the subsidy years.

Publication: ET Small Biz

Economic growth data often hides as much as it reveals. For instance, there’s no doubt that India is the world’s 7th largest economy in nominal GDP terms and also the fastest-growing large economy. However, from an environmental point of view, has this growth been sustainable? According to the Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) 2016, it has not. India ranks 68th out of 80 surveyed countries on its movement towards a ‘green economy model’. It lags well behind a host of smaller and lesser-developed nations.

Publication: Huffington Post

Danish wind energy giant Vestas today launched two new turbine variants here. In an exclusive interview with ETEnergyworld two senior executives of Vestas — Clive Turton, Global Senior Vice President, Sales Business Unit for the Asia-Pacific region and Augustin Sanchez, Vice President, Sales — talk about the company’s plans of expanding in India, exploring storage technology and the challenges in the wind energy sector.

Publication: ET Energy World

Cooperative federalism will be the leitmotif of Niti Aayog’s governing council meeting on Sunday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The third meeting of the governing council which also has chief ministers of states and union territories as members, comes in the backdrop of fundamental reordering of federal fiscal relations which includes larger transfers to states for funding of centrally sponsored schemes.

Publication: Live Mint

The World Bank is in talks with the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) to replicate the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar model, which saw record low-winning bids of Rs2.97 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) earlier this year. Speaking at Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) 4th Renewable Energy Summit on Friday, Amit Jain, Renwable Energy Specialist, World Bank said, “We are in talks with MNRE to replicate the Rewa model on a national scale. We are talking to the government of Odisha for the same.”

Publication: ET Energy World

Tata Motors started commercial test drive of its first batch of electric buses under the Marcopolo brand in Shimla over the weekend. “Last Friday we successfully piloted our first electric bus in Shimla. It was carried out jointly with the Himachal Road Transport Corporation and the state transport department. The 9-meter bus, with a seating capacity of 31 people, was piloted on the Parwanu-Kalka route with the round- trip distance of 160km with no charging en-route,” A K Jindal, head of engineering, commercial vehicles, Tata Motors told PTI.

Publication: Business Standard

After a lull of two years, the Chennai smart city project will move forward in 2017, focussing on traffic congestion. Congested commercial hub T Nagar will be the first to benefit from the smart city project and the next area in the pipeline is Broadway, a senior corporation official said. The official also noted that the smart city project will progress at its own pace and has nothing to do with the current state political scenario. The Rs 200 crore smart city project has now cleared all the paper works and the complete recruitment process for Chennai smart city Ltd will be over by next month.

Publication: Deccan Chronicle

While reviewing the progress of smart city project in Lucknow on April 21, the divisional commissioner found that most of the project is pending because of lack of coordination between various government departments. He ordered departments like Traffic Police, Jal Sansthan, Jal Nigam, LDA, Lucknow Metro, City Transport etc to submit DPRs of important key projects in their departments to the smart city consultant on priority so that they can be merged with the plan.

Publication: The Times of India

The non-conventional is conventional now. Renewable energy has made the definitive break from its sustainability moorings to reshape commercial power markets worldwide. From Kadapa to California, solar power has made headlines of late, for the lowest tariff (`3.15 per kWh) and for a record contribution (40% of power supplied for part day), respectively. Over the last fifteen years, renewable energy in India has progressed from 3% to 15% of installed capacity, and from a subsidised to competitive power source. But how sustainable is it?

Publication: Financial Express

Northern India, with the potential of about 363 GW of power, can emerge as the hub for renewable energy in the country, said a study released on Friday. The report titled ‘State Renewable Energy Policies: A Comparative Study’ was released by industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It highlighted that southern and western regions of the country are fast moving up the renewable energy installed capacity graph. The study also stressed that the ecosystem of renewable energy in India is still fraught with constraints, particularly with respect to state policies.

Publication: Live Mint

A unique customer engagement initiative aimed at encouraging a clean drive for a greener and better today and tomorrow, the drive was organized in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru. A cavalcade of around 50 EVs in Delhi, 25 EVs in Pune and 77 EVs in Bengaluru from the Mahindra Electric stable, which included the e2o, e2oPlus and the e-Verito drove around these 3 cities spreading the message of conserving the Earth and making it a better place to stay. The idea was to encourage people to go green by switching to a zero emissions car.

Publication: India Blooms

The Paris Agreement reached at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) in December 2015 was a major milestone that capped more than two decades of global negotiations aimed at averting dangerous climate change. The outcome was reflective of wider acceptance that a low-carbon transformation of the world’s energy systems is indeed possible, even inevitable, in the context of rapidly falling renewables costs and an unprecedented degree of action by nations, civil society, businesses, industry, cities, and other stakeholders.

Publication: YourStory

India’s renewable energy sector is going through a major transformation with record capacity additions being achieved in the solar and wind power sectors and tariffs falling to record low levels. The government is working on policies to further firm up the incentive structure for projects, Rajeev Kapoor, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy told Debapriya Mondal and Anisha Dutta in an exclusive interview.

Publication: ET Energy World

The AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and the Regional Science Centre (RSC) jointly organised a rally here on Saturday, on the occasion of the World Earth Day. Rally was taken out from the APPCB office to RSC.Students of Visvam education institutions, Little Angels institute, NCC, Youngistan staff and representatives of various industries participated in the rally. On the occasion, the RSC exhibited science shows for students.

Publication: The Hans India

Haryana Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Banwari Lal today appealed to the people to adopt clean energy to protect the environment. The minister was speaking at a function organised by the Department of New and Renewable Energy as part of the ‘Swarna Jayanti Year Celebrations’ to mark World Earth Day at Panchkula, near here, an official release said. While hundreds of school children participated in a walk to spread the message of ‘clean energy-green energy’, political leaders, administrators and experts also appealed to the people to adopt clean energy.

Publication: ET Energy World

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) estimates a possible refinancing opportunity for more than Rs 56000 crore out of the total debt of Rs 1.73 lakh crore across various infra sub-sectors in its portfolio till FY19. Of this, solar is expected to be in the forefront in terms of the number of deals with refinancing to the tune of 33%, followed by 27% in the highway sector. Also, there could be a shift in the type of instruments issued for the purpose of raising capital in the sector, largely to the capital market instruments, namely bonds, from the conventional term loans.

Publication: ET Energy World

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) estimates a possible refinancing opportunity for more than Rs 56000 crore out of the total debt of Rs 1.73 lakh crore across various infra sub-sectors in its portfolio till FY19. Of this, solar is expected to be in the forefront in terms of the number of deals with refinancing to the tune of 33%, followed by 27% in the highway sector. Also, there could be a shift in the type of instruments issued for the purpose of raising capital in the sector, largely to the capital market instruments, namely bonds, from the conventional term loans.

Publication: The Economic Times

India’s solar power prices may be set to fall below those of thermal (coal) energy. This is based on an expected cost of around Rs2.90 per unit for the solar power projects at Bhadla in Rajasthan that have received 51 bids. This price is less than the average rate of power generated by the coal-fuelled projects of India’s largest power generation utility, NTPC Ltd, at Rs3.20 per unit. State-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which is running the bid process for 750 megawatt (MW) of solar power capacity at two parks, has received bids totalling 8,750 MW.

Publication: Live Mint

The NITI Aayog on Sunday might come up with a report card of its performance in the more than two years of its existence, along with the major challenges it faced and the impact it made on the country’s policy making. Its governing council, before which the report card is likely to be placed, will meet on Sunday at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is likely to seek the support of chief ministers for various initiatives of the Central government, such as agricultural reforms, doubling farmers’ incomes, and infrastructure development.

Publication: Business Standard

Chinese telecom firm Huawei is in talks with the Indian government for its smart cities initiative, a top company official said on Wednesday. It is also interested in offering its solutions to domestic power utility companies, Huawei Telecommunications India, Enterprise Business, President Derek Hao told here. “Discussions are going on with government on Smart Cities initiative,” he said. The company, which garnered revenue of USD 75 billion globally as of December 2016, has offered its expertise to develop 100 smart cities in over 40 countries, he said. On offering the company’s Smart Grid solutions to power utility firms, he said they were holding discussions.

Publication: ET Realty

The SAFE convention was organised to share the best practices adopted by government and private organisations in areas of vehicular safety, technology innovations, and standards for enhancing road safety. The convention also saw the launch of ‘Road Safety Compendium of Indian Automobile Industry’ by the guest of honour, Sanjay Rastogi, principal secretary, Department of Commerce and Transport, Government of Odisha.

Publication: Autocar Professional 

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) has suggested the central government constitute a National Automotive Regulatory Board, to pave the way for policy certainty. The suggestion comes as the industry struggled to comply with the Supreme Court decision to not give any extension on the last date of March 31 for sale or registration of vehicles meeting only BS-III emission norms.

Publication: Business Standard

Another auction, another record. Tariffs in the Indian renewables sector are in free fall and the appetite of private developers to secure large, grid-connected solar and wind power projects by offering rock bottom unit prices shows no signs of slackening. In the latest instance, the India arm of France’s Engie SA won a contract to build a 250 MW solar power project in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh for a flat Rs 3.15 per kWh last week through competitive reverse bidding. “Clean affordable power for all,” energy minister Piyush Goyal announced on Twitter on April 11. “Solar achieves another record low of Rs 3.15/ unit (flat rate) during auction in Kadapa, AP by NTPC.”

Publication: The Wire

The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar (RUMS) park could turn out to be a game-changer in renewable energy in India. Soon after bids were cleared for the 750MW project, the railways approached the MP government to set up a Rewa-type solar plant, and even Coal India and oil firms are eyeing green energy, Manu Shrivastav, the principal secretary for new and renewable energy, told TOI on Wednesday.

Publication: ET Energy World

Rural Electrification Corp. (REC), a state-owned backer of India’s power sector, plans to lend billions of rupees to clean-energy projects and equipment makers this fiscal year as part of an expanded push into renewables that will also see it issue green bonds overseas. The non-banking financial company is aiming to triple its clean-energy lending and is expecting to set aside nearly Rs10,000 crore ($1.5 billion) for renewable energy in the financial year ending 31 March, chairman P.V. Ramesh said in an interview.

Publication: Live Mint

As per the “Key World Energy Statistics” report by International Energy Agency’s(IEA), in 2014 the global total primary energy supply was 13.7 Btoe (Billion Tonnes of Oil Equivalent). About four fifth of that is accounted by fossil fuels e.g. Coal, Oil and Natural gas. About 5% of that is contributed by nuclear fuels leaving the shares of others including renewables to less than 15%. The figures are different when it comes to source used for generation of electricity. The share of fossil fuels is two third and nuclear sources account for roughly 10%. The share of renewables including hydro is about a quarter.

Publication: Business World

Non-fossil fuels — renewables, nuclear and large hydroelectric power plants — will account for more than half (56.5 per cent) of India’s installed power capacity by 2027, according to a draft of the third National Electricity Plan (NEP3). The draft notes that if India achieves its target to install 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 — as committed under the 2015 Paris Agreement — it will not need to install, at least until 2027, any more coal-fired capacity than the 50 GW currently under construction.

Publication: The Financial Express

India is now entering the ‘Third Age of Connectivity’; it is being driven by technology and commercial developments, but the ultimate beneficiaries will be India’s consumers who will enjoy more choice and bargaining power than ever before. The humble network – cables, infrastructure – is at the heart of this shift, which will have profound impacts in Indian society from family life to the workplace.

Publication: ET Telecom

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said there is an urgent need to fast-track highway projects besides expeditious resolution of problems such as land acquisition and green clearance. The Road Transport and Highways Minister, who reviewed the projects by NHAI, said, “While a record 16,271 km of National Highways have been awarded and 8,231 km constructed during the year 2016-17, work needs to be done at a much faster pace to award more projects and construct those that have been awarded.” The Minister emphasised on fast-tracking the award and construction of National Highway projects, as per an official statement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Publication: Money Control

To give a boost to its ambitious Bharatmala plan, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government will bring all future road projects such as economic corridors and coastal roads under its aegis. The total investment for this flagship programme is estimated at Rs10 trillion—the largest ever outlay for a government road construction scheme. According to government officials working out the details of the scheme, the total road length to be developed as expressways under Bharatmala will be around 51,000km. In the first phase 29,000km will be developed with an outlay of Rs5.5 trillion.

Publication: Live Mint

India’s clean energy project developers are in talks to merge their portfolios as part of a strategy to achieve scale for selling the assets to overseas investors scouting for large investment opportunities in the country. A case in point is Ravi Jhunjhunwala’s LNJ Bhilwara Group, which is in talks with rivals to merge its wind energy portfolio. Another company following this strategy is Continuum Wind Energy Pte Ltd. Mint reported on 20 February about LNJ Bhilwara Group putting up its wind energy portfolio for sale and hiring Yes Bank Ltd to manage the sale.

Publication: Live Mint

Leaf, claimed to be the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle by manufacturer Nissan, is likely to set foot in India. According to a Mint report today, the company is assessing the market for electric cars in the country and is in discussion with government bodies and private sector firms in this regard. Pilot run for the Leaf, which has sold nearly 250,000 units globally so far, is scheduled for later this year in India. This run will help the Japanese auto maker in testing the car on Indian roads. Nissan is likely to initially seek incentives to provide the product at competitive prices and bolster demand. Once sales improve, the company may explore assembling the car or sourcing parts locally.

Publication: Money Control

Quite unexpectedly, India finds itself at the cusp of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that could have a profound influence on how we live. Under assault from dangerously high levels of pollution, our roads need a vehicular revolution on par with the one in the early 1990s that changed the way we communicate. With the advances in electric vehicle (EV) technology reaching a tipping point, there is a chance for India to leapfrog into an age of clean and efficient mobility.

Publication: Live Mint

India could be among the top 10 global markets for Audi within the next decade and we are also looking to double sales in the country in a faster time frame than earlier (plan of 10 years). Audi will also focus on alternative fuel technology, including electric vehicles, as it looks to bring environmentally sustainable mobility solutions to India.

Publication: ET Auto

Non-fossil fuels — renewables, nuclear and large hydroelectric power plants — will account for more than half (56.5%) of India’s installed power capacity within the 10 years to 2027, according to a draft of the third National Electricity Plan (NEP3) released in December 2016. The draft notes that if India achieves its target to install 175 gigawatts (GW, which consists of 1,000 megawatts) of renewable energy capacity by 2022 — as it has committed to under the 2015 Paris Agreement — it will not need to install, at least until 2027, any more coal-fired capacity than the 50 GW currently under construction.

Publication: The Hindustan Times

In India, Gas to Power (G2P) still remains the priority for the Government and energy companies. On the other hand, the developed countries across the world are working on commercialization of Power to Gas (P2G), a new solution to address storage issues involved with electricity. Moreover, long term storage of renewable power with greater efficiency remains one of the biggest challenges across the globe. Some of the most technologically advanced countries are even struggling to find a real solution to the limiting factor of storing renewable power. Rapid growth in solar and wind power generation demands sustainable solutions for energy storage, which address fluctuations and peak demand.

Publication: ET Energy World 

India achieved a record low solar tariff of Rs 3.29 (US¢ 5.1)/kWh in the Rewa tender in February. That record was surpassed last week in an auction conducted by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for a 250 MW project in Kadappa, Andhra Pradesh, where Engie’s Solairedirect submitted the winning bid of INR 3.15 (US¢ 4.9)/kWh. The project will be built in a solar park, developed by the state government. Ostro, Canadian Solar, Greenko, Azure Power, Adani and Mahindra were some of the unsuccessful bidders.

Publication: Money Control

Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies have given rise to new technologies like connected car telematics. Telematics is a field that encompasses telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multimedia, Internet, etc.). Internet of Things (IoT) eco-system in the cargo and logistics industry now acts as a fleet operator, where it talks to the Lorries or trucks and in return we get feedback from these Lorries and trucks. They check in to tell us where they are, how fast they’re going, whether they’re low on fuel, need air in the tires, or are just passing through particularly cold or hot weather.

Publication: ET Telecom

Villagers in and around the coal mining areas in Talcher, Odisha, constantly complain of skin and eye irritation, respiratory diseases and other allergies, apart from ash deposits in rivers. Talcher, also known as the Coal City of Odisha, is home to several mining industries and often the villagers bear the brunt of environmental and health hazards. “Since people fall sick more often they fall into the debt trap because they cannot afford to treat their increasing sickness and morbidity at present,” writes Utkal University’s Rabindra Garada, in a paper published in IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science.

Publication: Business World

Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd (DMRC) will make huge savings by purchasing power from Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd which is implementing the world’s largest solar power project at a single site in Madhya Pradesh, a power ministry statement said. “There would be huge savings to the Delhi Metro because of per unit cost of power reducing from over Rs4.50 to Rs3.30,” the statement said quoting power and renewable energy minister Piyush Goyal, who presided over the signing of DMRC’s power purchase agreement in Bhopal on Monday.

Publication: Live Mint

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would most likely step in to resolve an inter-ministerial bickering over NITI Aayog’s proposed National Energy Policy, which intends to roll out the reforms in power sector, which have been pending for a long time now. Several ministries, including those of Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy, hold stakes in this policy, but have been unable to reach common grounds on some points of the proposed policies. “National Energy Policy is pending with PMO (prime minister’s office),” an official in the know told ET.

Publication: Business Insider

The joint venture firm will be established this year and will be headed by Suzuki with 50 percent share. Toshiba and Denso will have 40 percent and 10 percent share respectively. A statement from Suzuki read. “The battery pack manufacturing joint venture by the three companies will realise stable supply of lithium-ion battery packs in India in the course of promoting sustainable cars in the country and will contribute to the Make in India initiative by the Indian government.”

Publication: Drive Spark

Nissan Motor Co. plans to work with “government bodies” and “private sector firms” to see if there is a market for its electric car Leaf in India, a top executive at the Indian unit of the Japanese auto maker said. “We will start a pilot project involving the Nissan Leaf this year, which will help us in assessing the viability of electric vehicles (EV),” Guillaume Sicard, president, Nissan India operations, added.

Publication: Live Mint

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which is finalising a memorandum of understanding with BHEL to help develop low-cost lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles, also envisages a buyback commitment for such batteries. The move is expected to take care of concerns on managing the waste generated at the end of battery life. According to the MoU, BHEL will set up a production plant, while ISRO will provide support for scale-up, joint effort in cost optimisation, research and development for alternate chemistry and buyback commitment, according to sources. BHEL will develop the battery for commercial applications. This is part of India’s plan to promote low-cost electric vehicles with the use of lithium-ion batteries.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

After its earlier plans to lead by example for promoting electric vehicles (EVs) turned a cropper, Nitin Gadkari-led ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has sweetened the bid conditions for hiring electric cars for use by its officials.

In a 10 April tender put up on its website, the ministry has invited online bids for hiring electric cars for the use of its officials for one year which “may be extended for a period of further one year”. Also, any extension will see a 5% increase in rates for the vehicles, which should be able to run at least 100 km at a stretch.

Publication: Live Mint

At the last meeting of the Environmental Goods Agreement in Geneva, in December 2016, participants were unable to close their differences on trade liberalisation of environmental goods (EG). The WTO defines EG as a host of products that can help to achieve environmental and climate protection goals.

The EGA builds on a list of 54 environment-related products on which the negotiating countries are advocating to create a consensus seeking to reduce tariffs. In 2001 when discussions began the list of products was much larger.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line