India’s superpower ambition will run on energy

The energy trilemma is becoming a growth question

For India, energy security has three equally important dimensions: reliability, affordability and sustainability. All three will have to move forward together. Electricity demand is already rising rapidly. The International Energy Agency expects India’s electricity demand to grow by an average 6.4% annually through 2030, adding more than 570 TWh to annual consumption. Industry is expected to contribute around one-third of that growth. (iea.org) 
 
For energy-intensive industries, reliability is fundamental. Refineries, chemicals, steel, cement and manufacturing facilities depend on stable utilities and well-performing processes. At the same time, households and businesses need electricity at a cost that supports growth, while India’s energy system needs to continue reducing emissions. India has already made significant progress on the clean-energy side, reaching 50% of cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources in June 2025, five years ahead of its original 2030 target. (mnre.gov.in) 
 
The next challenge is to meet rising demand without simply adding more energy supply to compensate for inefficiencies within the system. 

The energy we save is energy we can use elsewhere

Much of India’s energy transition understandably focuses on adding generation capacity, solar, wind, nuclear, green hydrogen and other technologies. But there is another opportunity that sits inside the country’s existing industrial infrastructure: using energy better. 

Industry could account for around 63–67% of India’s final energy demand by 2070, according to NITI Aayog. (niti.gov.in) That makes industrial efficiency a national priority, not simply an operational one. 
 
Heat is a particularly important part of this equation. Across refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, food processing and other industries, large quantities of energy are used to heat, cool, condense and evaporate process streams. When heat is not recovered or transferred efficiently, valuable energy is lost. 
 
Modern heat exchanger technology can change that equation. Better heat recovery and thermal integration can allow energy from one part of a process to be reused elsewhere, reducing the need for additional heating or cooling. In practical terms, this can mean lower energy consumption, reduced operating costs and lower emissions, without necessarily requiring a complete redesign of the industrial process. 
 
This is an area where Alfa Laval has a long-standing role to play. Our heat transfer, separation and fluid handling technologies are designed to help industries make better use of energy and resources. High-efficiency heat exchangers, for example, can support heat recovery and process optimization, while separation technologies can reduce the energy intensity of processes where traditional methods are more demanding. 
 
The opportunity extends beyond improving existing assets. These same capabilities are increasingly relevant to the technologies India will need for its transition, including green hydrogen, carbon capture, biofuels and other lower-carbon processes.

From energy independence to energy intelligence

Perhaps India’s definition of energy independence also needs to evolve. It cannot only mean producing more energy domestically or reducing dependence on imports. It should also mean creating more economic value from every unit of energy consumed. 
 
NITI Aayog’s scenarios point in this direction. Despite the projected eleven-fold growth in GDP, improvements in energy efficiency, electrification and circularity could significantly moderate growth in final energy demand. (niti.gov.in) A more energy-efficient industrial base can therefore contribute not only to decarbonization, but also to competitiveness and energy security. 
 
India’s journey towards 2047 and 2070 will require investment across the entire energy value chain, from generation and transmission to industrial infrastructure and new technologies. But alongside that investment, we need to pay closer attention to what happens once energy reaches the factory, refinery or processing plant. 
 
For companies like Alfa Laval, this is where we can contribute: helping industries improve heat recovery, optimize processes, strengthen asset performance and prepare for a lower-carbon energy future. 
 
India’s superpower ambition will require energy in abundance. But it will also require us to get much more from every unit of energy we produce. 
 
That is where energy efficiency can move from being an operational advantage to becoming a national advantage.