Amitab Kant says India must become energy independent to tackle crisis like Iran war

Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant stressed the need for India to achieve energy independence amid global tensions, urging expansion of non-fossil fuel capacity, battery storage and critical minerals processing while addressing students at GITAM University

Sangareddy: Former Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant observed that India must become energy independent to tackle challenges such as the West Asia crisis caused by the recent war involving the US and Israel alliance with Iran.

Addressing passing out students of Kautilya School of Public Policy (KSPP) at GITAM University, Hyderabad, on Friday, Amitabh Kant said drones and missiles used during the war demonstrated their ability to disrupt the capital expenditure of oil companies. He further said such conflicts could also choke maritime transportation, which would seriously impact India’s fossil fuel imports.

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Amitabh Kant said India must aim to increase non-fossil fuel capacity to 1,500 GW by the end of 2030 from the existing 500 GW. The former NITI Aayog CEO said India must also focus on improving battery storage for solar power and electric vehicles, where the role of critical minerals becomes key. However, he said India must focus on battery manufacturing by processing critical minerals, in which China has now become a monopoly.

To achieve the goal of making India a 30 trillion economy, he said the country would need qualified public policy professionals, where the role of graduates passing out from KSPP becomes crucial. Amitabh Kant urged students to promote research and development, support startups, and enable access to risk capital. Reflecting on India’s progress, he cited rapid advancements in infrastructure, renewable energy and digital public infrastructure, including leadership in digital payments and large-scale public service delivery such as COVID-19 vaccinations.

He emphasised the transformative potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in areas such as artificial intelligence, healthcare and nutrition. Describing the present as “India’s decade,” he pointed to the country’s demographic advantage and urged graduates to remain optimistic, innovative and committed to nation-building.

A passing out student of the Master’s programme in public policy, Abhijeet Sudhir Raut, was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for securing first rank, while Simran Kaur received the Dean’s Gold Medal for Best Capstone Project. The Yanamandra Mallikarjuna Rao Memorial Gold Medal was jointly awarded to Abhijeet Sudhir Raut and Amal Shukla. President of GITAM University M Sri Bharat and others were present.