PEG and Pune International Centre jointly organised a talk by Dr. Nikit Abhyankar on  'India's Energy Future - Challenges and Opportunities' on 10th July 2026 at the PIC campus. 

Recent geopolitical developments particularly the conflict in the Middle East have once again highlighted India’s vulnerability arising from its heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels. As a country importing most of its crude and a significant share of natural gas, disruptions in one part of the world quickly translate into uncertainty in energy prices and supply. At the same time, measures such as EU’s CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) are a signal that decarbonisation is not only an environmental imperative, it is becoming a factor which will decide competitiveness and access to markets. Hence, Indian industries need to reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to grow, generate employment and compete globally.

In recent years, India has made good progress in RE capacity expansion and competitive bidding has produced some of the lowest prices for RE with battery storage. How can India leverage this to strengthen energy security? What are the opportunities in green manufacturing and what policy changes will be required to realise this potential? 

These were some of the questions that Dr. Nikit Abhyankar sought to answer during his talk. Nikit highlighted that a dramatic reduction in solar-plus-storage prices has made round-the-clock clean power significantly cheaper than industrial tariffs. With an integrated national grid and enabling open-access regulations, India is uniquely positioned to electrify industry, transport and heat at scale. He explained how low-cost clean power could anchor green manufacturing, slash the $150 billion oil import bill, and drive up to a trillion dollars in profitable clean investment over two decades - and what co-ordinated policy and private-sector action it will take to realize.

The full video of the talk can be accessed below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdE5n8MUIM