India’s Energy Reset: Can Diversity Power Security?

Good Morning. Smart meters are sparking protests as consumers fear higher bills. Dish TV, once the king of satellite dishes, is reinventing itself with gadgets, OTT, and even shopping to stay relevant in the streaming age. And on our weekend edition, energy expert Atanu Mukherjee explains why India’s true power play lies in diversifying its energy sources — from ethanol to coal gasification to solar grids.

This edition may be short, but it packs a punch: three stories, one theme — how India is re-wiring the way we power our homes, fuel our economy, and entertain ourselves.

WEEKEND EDITION

India’s Energy Reset: Can Diversity Power Security?

India imports over 80% of its crude oil, leaving us exposed to global shocks, trade wars, and tariff tantrums. But as Atanu Mukherjee, CEO of Dastur Energy, tells
The Core Report Weekend Edition, the solution may not be chasing one silver bullet — but embracing diversity in energy sources.

Here’s what stood out in the conversation:

• Ethanol isn’t a magic fix: Blending petrol with ethanol helps cut imports, but mileage concerns, farming distortions, and low energy density mean it’s only part of the answer.
  

• Coal, reinvented: India’s vast coal reserves could be gasified into syngas to make fertilisers, methanol, and chemicals — cutting reliance on pricey naphtha and LNG imports.
  

• The refinery edge: With 23 world-class refineries, India can process discounted “heavy crudes” from Canada or Venezuela, turning volatility into cheaper energy and export opportunities.
  

• Electrification & renewables: From railways to industry, electrifying processes with solar and wind matters — but integration challenges and storage costs mean renewables need smarter grid design.
  

• Volatility as an advantage: Rather than fear price swings and geopolitics, India could actually use global uncertainty to its benefit — sourcing smarter, refining better, and exporting strategically.

Bottom line: India’s path to energy security won’t come from ethanol alone, or even renewables in isolation. It will come from building a flexible, diverse energy portfolio that makes volatility a friend, not a foe.

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THE SIGNAL DAILY

The Smart Meter Shockwave!

Electricity theft is no small problem in India—it costs power companies thousands of crores every year. To fix this, the government kicked off the Smart Meter National Programme (SMNP) in 2017 with an ambitious target: swap out 25 crore old-school meters for smart ones by March 2026.

Sounds futuristic, right? Well… the reality check is here. As of July, only 2.41 crore smart meters had been installed. That’s just 10% of the target.

And here’s the twist: consumers aren’t exactly cheering. In fact, some believe these new meters are making their electricity bills balloon. In Gujarat, protests even turned fiery—literally—when angry residents vandalized electricity department offices.

So, what’s really going on? Are smart meters the villains making bills soar, or the heroes curbing theft and modernizing India’s power supply?

That’s the big debate, and we’re unpacking it in the latest episode of The Signal Daily. Plug in for insights from experts, stories from the ground, and a look at whether India’s power future is truly “smart.”

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