RAP and the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) formally released our edited volume on the political economy of India’s state power sectors, Mapping Power, on 17 September 2018. This book is the culmination of a two-year effort researching the power sectors in 15 Indian states.
Electricity is critical to enabling India’s economic growth and providing a better future for its citizens. In spite of several decades of reform, the Indian electricity sector is unable to provide high-quality and affordable service for all, and grapples with the challenge of poor financial and operational performance.
To understand why, Mapping Power provides the most comprehensive analysis of the political economy of electricity in India’s states. It suggests that a historically grounded political economy analysis helps understand the past and devise reforms to simultaneously improve sectoral outcomes and generate political rewards. These arguments have implications for the challenges facing India’s electricity future, including providing electricity to all, implementing government reform schemes, and successfully managing the rise of renewable energy.
Book Launch and Discussion
- Suresh Prabhu, union minister of commerce and industry and civil aviation and former minister of power (by video)
- Jairam Ramesh, member of Parliament and former union minister
- Narendra Taneja, national spokesperson, BJP
- Pramod Deo, former chairman, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
Panel Discussion
- D.V. Ramana, director, Institute of Management Technology Hyderabad
- Shantanu Dixit, group coordinator, Prayas (Energy Group)
- Aditi Phadnis, political editor, Business Standard