Publications
Two decades after the liberalization of India’s economy and a decade after the passage of the Electricity Act of 2003, what is the state of India’s power sector? More Power to India: The Challenge of Electricity Distribution assesses progress in implementing the government’s reform agenda and examines the performance of the sector along different dimensions.
The sector has come a long way, with significant achievements on many fronts. However, the lack of reliable power is a leading concern and a potential constraint to growth. Annual per capita consumption is low by global standards and 300 million people lack electricity while the peak deficit is more than 10 percent. The incentives of state government, regulators and commercial financial institutions must be aligned to support utility performance. While the Electricity Act and associated policies constitute an enabling policy and regulatory framework for the sector’s development, the authors argue that the focus now must be on implementation.
