Energy security and sustainable development in India

The objective of this paper is to analyze the trend and pattern of energy use, demand-supply mismatch, energy challenges, the cause and effect relationship between energy and economic development, and it's sustainability in India. The study is based on secondary data collected from energy policy reports, economic survey of India and reports of oil corporations of India. The study has used methods of compound growth rate and energy elasticity to analyse the present and future energy challenge in India. In terms of primary energy consumption, India ranks fifth in the world and accounts for about 3.5 per cent of the world's commercial energy demand. Currently, about 35% of India's commercial energy needs are imported. The trend of the primary commercial energy consumption in India shows that electricity and coal are the major sources of energy consumed in India. The paper focuses on the projections, growth rates and GDP elasticity of total energy requirements. During fifteen year period from 1995 to 2010, the compound growth rate of total primary energy is 2.9% and for total primary commercial energy is 4.9%. In order to deliver a sustained growth of 8% through 2031, India would at least need to grow it's primary energy supply by 3 to 4 times whereas the electricity supply needs to grow at the rate of 5 to 7 times the present consumption.