India Taking The Lead in Green Tech
India has been a prime mover of the green technology movement in recent years. With some of the most environmentally friendly companies in the world situated here, from wind turbine manufacturers to electronics companies phasing out waste and unsustainable business practices, India has shown a firm commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. In recent years, the country has subsidized green technology for its many religious temples, schools, hotels and many other industries. Solar energy has arisen as a major point of discussion, with government officials planning to draw 20 GW of solar energy by 2020. In addition to its investment in wind turbine energy, India seems intent on making bold strides toward renewable energy and a green economy.
In 2010 India launched the $110 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, which will take 10 years to complete but will catapult India to the top of industrialized nations as far as geo-technology is concerned. The corridor is expected to span 6 states and will at least double infrastructure, industry, and employment growth.
Another major project underway in India is the Suzlon Wind Farm, a 1,000 megawatt energy company which was completed in 2010. When judged on net worth it’s the biggest wind company in the world, generating 5.4 billion in renewable energy revenue in 2009. In the solar energy field, Acme Solar Thermal Plants, which will be completed 2019, plans on producing another 1,000 megawatts of solar energy in Haryana, India. These are examples of two massively ambitious undertakings in two of the world’s biggest renewable energy industries.
Asia as a whole has certainly been leading the world as far as green innovation. China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore have also invested heavily in renewable energy. India and China are leading the way, perhaps sensing green tech as the next major export of the 21st century. With signs that China’s domestic economic growth has leveled off in recent years, India may be primed to take the number one spot in terms of environmental friendliness. The country has certainly done the legwork, earning the 2010 National Geographic title of the “greenest country in the world”, based on transportation, household energy, renewable resources, and consumer knowledge.
With about a billion people in India not having access to the Internet, the demand for energy is a scalable phenomenon and it makes sense that a country with so much IT power would want to address the issue. India is planning for the future with aggressive renewable and sustainable industrial pushes. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the world will follow suit.
