Solar panels at a National Thermal Power Corporation plant in Uttar Pradesh
Synopsis
In 2022, power demand in India has been growing at the fastest pace in nearly four decades. The country's largest state-owned power producer says it is giving utmost thrust to renewable energy, but there is a need for adding coal-based capacity as well. Is NTPC making the right move?
The flight path of a public-sector enterprise in India, even if it is listed in the stock market, is mostly decided by the government. Considering the Centre wants renewable power to have a 50% share in the country’s energy mix by 2030, it didn’t come as a surprise when NTPC announced two years ago that it would make a serious bid to increase its green-energy footprint. In October 2020, it set up a fully owned subsidiary, NTPC Renewable Energy