How can India reduce Energy Intensity?

Transport

1. Modern ICE: Efficiency of fuel combustion is much higher in today's ICE engines.

2. Railway electrification to EVs: Shifts energy from thermal to electrical.

3. Higher Railways modal share: Railways carry more tonnes per KWh.

4. Metro-rail & buses: Carry more passengers per KWh & reduce road congestion.

5. Work from home & IT shopping: Personal trips are replaced by fewer commercial deliveries.

Households & Commercial

1. Green buildings: Buildings with higher insulation reduce cooling and heating loads.

2. Improved building designs: Modern commercial designs allow better ventilation.

3. Energy-efficient appliances & lighting.

Logistics

1. Better road / rail infrastructure: Shorter journeys, fewer stops & less round-tripping.

2. Improved logistics infrastructure: All buildings and equipment for seamless operations.

3. Multimodal logistics parks: An efficient way to distribute.

4. Cluster development: Energy can be saved by rationalising supply chains.

Industry

1. Renewable Electricity: RE requires less energy to produce 1 KWh of electricity.

2. PV in telecom towers, irrigation pumps: Shifts away from thermal means of production.

3. Replace old equipment: Modern equipment (e.g. boilers) is very energy-efficient.

4. Efficient industrial processes: Modern methods are more energy-efficient.

Multi-dimensional poverty in India and South Asia

In 2021, Kerala bested all South Asian provinces, including Sri Lanka, on the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (source: OPHI). How many years would it take other Indian states to match Kerala? AP includes Telangana.

Model for Visualising Multidimensional Poverty Index

Table 1 shows MPI of India at national and state levels, as projected to 2035. India (blue line) flattens to 1.5% (2030) & 0.69% (2035). It shows poor states improving dramatically while other states have reached close to zero.

Table 2 shows a Sigma plot with the same data. On this plot, the line for India is linear and all states improve in step with their performance. A Sigma of 3 or more makes the event rare or almost negligible (value of less than 0.27%). Here, it means the state has reached the level of Kerala in 2021 (i.e. 2.97).

MPI of South Asian

Provinces

Sri Lanka's provinces and India's leading states are well matched. Those of Nepal & Bangladesh rank as lower-middle tier & low tier Indian states respectively. Majority of Bhutan and Pakistan provinces fare poorly, and in fact, score lower than India's poorest states.