The turbulence in West Asia is a reminder of a structural reality that India has long grappled with: Energy insecurity is not episodic; it is systemic. For a country that imports over 85 per cent of its crude oil, geopolitical volatility is not an external risk. Every disruption in supply chains, every spike in oil prices and every escalation in regional conflict creates inflation, fiscal pressure, and current account stress. But such crises also present opportunities. India has the scale, the policy momentum, and the entrepreneurial capacity to convert this vulnerability into a decisive advantage.

The challenge must be used to redesign India’s energy architecture. First, India must accelerate its renewable energy (RE) ambition and move from incrementalism to scale. India’s existing target of 500 GW of RE by 2030 was bold when announced. Today, it’s no longer sufficient. A revised target of 1,500 GW by 2030 is both necessary and achievable. This pertains to both climate commitments and energy sovereignty. In 2025, China added almost 1,600 GW in clean energy (solar and wind), whereas India added a mere 49 GW.

To enable this increased target, procurement mechanisms must be strengthened. Central agencies must aggregate and contract at least 200 GW annually, complemented by aggressive state-level procurement. Renewable purchase obligations and renewable consumption obligations must be expanded and strictly enforced.

Grid infrastructure must, therefore, be treated as a national priority. Renewables-rich states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu require high-capacity transmission corridors that are seamlessly integrated with storage systems. RE management centres must be expanded and their capability to manage intermittency enhanced. Last year, over 50GW of energy........

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