Working PaperRegion & Country Studies

India: Pathways to Sustaining Rapid Development in a New Climate Economy

Milan Brahmbhatt, Rajat Kathuria

This paper argues that India’s efforts to achieve rapid, inclusive and sustainable development have been hampered in the past by pervasive inefficiencies that arise from market, policy and institutional failures and weaknesses. Efforts to address these weaknesses in a comprehensive manner can significantly increase the pace of improvement in the well-being of the population while also better tackling environmental and climate risks.

Authors

Milan Brahmbhatt New Climate Economy

Rajat Kathuria ICRIER

Overview

April 2015

This paper argues that India’s efforts to achieve rapid, inclusive and sustainable development have been hampered in the past by pervasive inefficiencies that arise from market, policy and institutional failures and weaknesses. Efforts to address these weaknesses in a comprehensive manner can significantly increase the pace of improvement in the well-being of the population while also better tackling environmental and climate risks. Drawing on the framework developed in the New Climate Economy report Better Growth, Better Climate, we focus on three critical socio-economic systems where increased efficiency, investment and innovation can yield major development and environmental benefits: energy systems, agriculture and land use, and cities.

 

Eleven recommendations are offered to significantly increase the pace of improvement in the well-being of the population of India while also better tackling environmental and climate risks. The political economy of such reforms is often difficult but experience from both India and other countries provides considerable hope that meaningful progress is possible.

 

Associated graphics

Electricity T&D losses 1971-2011

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Cities with the highest ambient PM2.5 air pollution.

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India: energy imports, net 1971–2012

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India: installed wind and solar capacity

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India: Pathways to Sustaining Rapid Development in a New Climate Economy

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