Whats behind Indias power crisis?
India is the world\u2019s third-largest producer of electricity, and three-quarters of this electricity comes from coal-based thermal power plants. But despite having one of the world\u2019s largest coal reserves, the country is often teetering on the brink of a power crisis. Last year, it was an unexpected surge in demand as the economy picked up after a deadly Covid wave; this year, it\u2019s been an earlier-than-expected intense heatwave coupled with the war in Ukraine that is making coal imports costly and unaffordable. In fact, the power crisis rose to such a level that over 100 passenger trains had to be cancelled to make way for coal carriages.\n \nSo, does India\u2019s coal shortage stem from a lack of proper risk allocation, inefficient coal production, or a failure to anticipate a surge in demand? \n \nIn this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss what\u2019s behind India\u2019s power crisis.\n \nPresenter: Devina Gupta\nContributors: Partha Bhattacharya, former chairman & managing director, Coal India; Manmohan Gaind, vice-president, Manesar Industries Welfare Association; Karthik Ganesan, fellow and director, research coordination, CEEW