India’s coal dilemma is no longer about whether to move away from thermal power ~ it is about how to make it cleaner without compromising the country’s growing energy needs. With electricity demand rising faster than anticipated and renewables unable to offer round-the-clock reliability, thermal power plants remain central to India’s energy strategy. But their environmental cost is undeniable, contributing to over 40 per cent of national carbon emissions.

The time has come not to demonise coal, but to domesticate it ~ by making it cleaner, more efficient, and less destructive. Thermal power has powered India’s development since the early 2000s, and still accounts for more than 70 per cent of electricity generated. This figure has remained virtually unchanged despite rapid renewable energy expansion. Solar and wind now contribute significantly to installed capacity, but suffer from variability and limited storage options. India’s........

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