The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has unveiled a comprehensive new vision for India’s clean energy future with the launch of Rising Ambition: Carving New Pathways—India’s Energy Transition. Authored by Ajay Shankar, a senior expert in energy policy and a former government secretary, the book arrives at a crucial moment as India intensifies efforts to align economic growth with climate responsibility and long-term Net Zero objectives.
The newly released work provides a detailed, sector-wise blueprint for India’s energy transition, offering practical strategies designed to strengthen energy security while advancing climate action. With the world confronting escalating climate risks and scientific assessments indicating rising global temperatures beyond earlier limits, the book emphasises the urgency of decisive action in the present decade. It highlights how current policies and investments will shape India’s low-carbon trajectory for generations.
At the launch event in New Delhi, senior leaders from TERI highlighted the timeliness and relevance of the publication. They noted that it draws attention to critical themes such as ensuring fair access to clean cooking fuels, maintaining the rapid momentum of renewable energy deployment, and enhancing the role of private capital in the clean energy economy. The book reflects the author’s long-standing engagement with India’s energy landscape and his continued focus on equity, affordability, and innovation.
A core strength of Rising Ambition lies in its detailed examination of sector-specific pathways. It explores renewable energy expansion, strengthening of grid infrastructure, and the potential of India’s Green Hydrogen Mission to transform energy-intensive industries such as steel, fertilisers, and refineries. The book also discusses the challenges of industrial decarbonisation and highlights the need for targeted policy support, technology deployment, and financial innovation to accelerate reductions in carbon intensity.
Another significant aspect of the book is its emphasis on reducing dependence on fossil fuels through a phased, just, and economically viable approach. It underlines that India’s energy transition must prioritise social inclusion, ensuring that the shift towards clean energy does not disrupt livelihoods but instead creates new economic opportunities. By proposing measures that balance climate ambition with developmental needs, the book positions the transition as a pathway toward a more resilient and competitive economy.
Speakers at the launch event highlighted the author’s ability to contextualise India’s choices within the broader global climate challenge. They observed that the coming decades will be marked by rising emissions pressures worldwide, technological disruptions, and evolving international energy markets. Against this backdrop, India’s Net Zero goal for 2070 requires early planning, sustained policy commitment, and steady progress across all sectors of the economy. The book, they noted, offers grounded and actionable guidance to navigate these complexities.
In addition to local acclaim, Rising Ambition has received appreciation from international climate leaders for its clarity and analytical depth. The recognition underscores the book’s broader relevance in global discussions on equitable energy transitions and the unique role that developing economies like India can play in shaping a climate-secure future.
By presenting India’s clean energy shift as both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity, the book encourages policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders to adopt a long-term, forward-looking perspective. It frames the transition as a strategic approach for achieving a more inclusive, technologically advanced, and economically robust India.
As India prepares for an era defined by sustainability challenges and opportunities, Rising Ambition adds an important voice to the national conversation. It provides a roadmap that combines realism with aspiration offering a clear narrative on how the country can build a greener, fairer, and more resilient energy future while maintaining its developmental momentum.
