THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 8, 2026

India on Thursday called for deeper regional energy cooperation, stronger cross-border electricity trade and greater collaboration in clean energy technologies as it underlined the need for a secure, resilient, affordable and sustainable energy future at the 20th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.

Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik, who represented India at the meeting, said New Delhi remains committed to strengthening energy security and regional cooperation, while highlighting the country’s progress in renewable energy deployment, grid integration and power-sector transformation.

Emphasising India’s Act East Policy and its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, Naik welcomed the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2026-2030 and stressed the importance of cooperation under the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026-2030.

He highlighted opportunities for collaboration in areas including the ASEAN Power Grid, regional power transmission, multilateral electricity trade, clean energy and energy security.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit in 2025, Naik said India was supporting the ASEAN Power Grid initiative through training of 400 professionals in grid connectivity.

India’s installed electricity generation capacity has risen to 558.8 GW as of September 30, 2026, with non-fossil sources accounting for 308 GW, or 55 per cent of the total installed capacity, Naik said.

He also cited the progress of the PM Surya Ghar initiative, under which around 5.01 million rooftop solar installations had benefited 5.95 million households as of September 29, 2026.

India achieved 50 per cent of its cumulative installed electricity generation capacity from non-fossil sources in June 2025, five years ahead of its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution target, he noted.

On regional electricity interconnection, Naik said India and Singapore are exploring options for a proposed 2,000 MW cross-border power link. One option under consideration is a land-based transmission corridor of around 3,000 km connecting Imphal in India with Singapore through Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia.

The proposed interconnection could facilitate reliable cross-border electricity trade, enable greater integration of clean energy and strengthen energy security across the region, he said.

India also offered to share its experience in large-scale renewable energy deployment, grid integration, transmission planning, energy storage, green hydrogen and other clean-energy technologies with East Asia Summit participating countries.

Naik called for stronger institutional linkages between the ASEAN Centre for Energy and leading Indian institutions, including NTPC, POWERGRID, the Central Electricity Authority, the National Institute of Wind Energy, the National Institute of Solar Energy and the National Power Training Institute.

The minister further outlined avenues for cooperation in strategic petroleum reserves, emergency preparedness, electricity-system resilience, LNG and gas supply security, renewable-energy forecasting, battery energy storage, green hydrogen and emerging energy technologies.

India also expressed interest in knowledge exchange and cooperation with ASEAN partners on carbon capture, utilisation and storage and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, while taking into account the priorities and circumstances of participating countries.

Naik reaffirmed India’s support for ASEAN’s efforts to operationalise the Enhanced Memorandum of Understanding on the ASEAN Power Grid and deepen multilateral power trade, reinforcing New Delhi’s push for an integrated and resilient regional energy architecture.