India is rapidly advancing in its green energy transition, outpacing China in certain key areas. Notably, India is electrifying its economy at a comparable rate to China when adjusted for GDP per capita, but with a significantly lower per capita consumption of fossil fuels. This is due to a combination of factors, including rapid solar deployment, lower coal use, and increasing adoption of electric vehicles.

India's progress in solar energy is particularly noteworthy. Solar reached 5% of India's total electricity generation at around $9,000 GDP per capita, while it took China until about $23,000 to reach that level. The share of renewable tenders paired with battery storage has also increased significantly, from about 12% in 2021 to half in 2024. Furthermore, coal power growth is fading in India at levels a quarter of where China's did. In 2025, coal power generation in India fell by approximately 3%, while in China it fell by 1.6%. This simultaneous drop in coal power generation in both countries marks the first time this has happened in half a century.

One of the main reasons India's per capita fossil fuel consumption is lower than China's is that India's growth model is structurally less energy intensive. India generates a third more economic output per unit of energy than China today. Unlike China's development path, which was heavily driven by construction, India's economy is lighter and more services-led.

In the transportation sector, India is also making strides in electrification. By mid-2025, EVs accounted for around 5% of car sales in India, and the country is the global leader in electric three-wheeler sales. India's per capita road oil demand is about half of China's level at an equivalent income level and is close to peaking.

India's ambitious renewable energy targets and rapid deployment are crucial for meeting the country's growing electricity demand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's objective is to achieve 500 GW of clean power capacity by 2030. Projections suggest that current clean power build-out rates could satisfy approximately 97% of India's projected demand growth up to 2030, potentially negating the need for significant new coal capacity.

India's shift towards renewable energy offers several benefits, including a faster and cheaper route to growing electricity, greater energy sovereignty, and the potential to become a major electrotech manufacturer. The transition from fossil fuels to electrotech favors Asia in general and India in particular.

Despite these positive developments, challenges remain. India still relies on China for many of the major components and materials that support renewable energy power generation. Financially ailing electricity distribution companies are impeding the urgent transformation of the sector. High levels of pollution have left Indian cities with some of the poorest air quality in the world.

Overall, India is forging a better path to the electrotech future of energy. Cheap solar and batteries are enabling India to develop without the long fossil detour taken by the West and China.