HARNESSING LIGHT, SHAPING FUTURES

From oil crises to climate goals, India’s solar champions—ReNew, Adani, Tata, Waaree —have turned sunlight into serious bower, shaping global energy transitions

- KRISHNA GUPTA

If one were to trace the origin of the solar revolution that the world has witnessed in the past few decades, it would have to be the twin oil crises of 1973 and 1979: the first one on account of the Arab-Israel conflict and the consequent oil embargo by Arab nations because of Western support of Israel; and the second because of the Iranian revolution and the cutback of oil output by Iran.

While the 1973 oil crisis led to a fourfold rise in oil prices and led to a recession in the US, Japan and Europe, the 1979 crisis led to a doubling of oil prices. It is only after these oil crises that the search for energyefficient cars and alternative sources of energy began to be developed, not because of an impending climate challenge but to reduce dependence on oil. The US took the lead in solar power and lithium-ion batteries, the Danes in wind power, and the French in nuclear power. Today, China has overtaken other countries in renewable energy and its applications. In this article, we will look at some of the large solar companies in India and China that are taking forward the solar revolution.