GAME CHANGERS

Improving energy efficiency of appliances—equipment of everyday use—is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to enhance energy security and avoid carbon dioxide emissions.

- ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY

Estimates suggest that just two appliances—air conditioners and water pumps—will account for more than one-third of India’s total energy consumption by 2030. Raising their efficiency to global standards could result in potential energy savings, and support the country’s net-zero emission targets. Is India positioned to tap into this opportunity?

STAY COOL." "Pump out the water." Phrases like these are quite familiar in a country like India that heavily depends on two appliances: room air conditioners (ACs) and water pumps. In today's warming world, cooling is no longer a luxury but an urgent adaptation. In a land of erratic monsoons and prolonged dry spells, pumping water is no longer just a routine part of farming— it is a vital strategy for climate resilience.

India is already the largest extractor of groundwater in the world. It pumps out more water annually than what the monsoon rains can replenish. It is estimated that around 32 million irrigation pumps are currently in use across Indian farms. Simultaneously, ACs have become a symbol of comfort and aspiration; nearly one in 10 Indian households owns an AC today—a figure on par with car ownership. And this is just the beginning. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), India is expected to have over one billion ACs in operation by 2050—increasing heat levels in cities, partly because of climate change, will add to the demand for cooling. This will in turn add to energy demand and its resultant emissions.