BOSTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make In India’ and US President Donald Trump’s emphasis on ‘Make in America’ are “not contradictory”, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has said.
Pradhan, who was on a two-day visit to the city, made the remarks while underscoring India’s focus on creating “a new energy story” using world class technology and cutting-edge innovation.
Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India and Trump’s ‘Make in America’ are not contradictory, he said.
“If we use American technology and innovation in India’s market, then it is not necessary that all components will be made in America. If American technology needs business, then they will have to come to India. We need a good business model and technology in our market. These are not contradictory,” Pradhan told PTI in an interview here.
During his stay, Pradhan delivered the keynote address at the 2017 MIT Energy Conference and addressed students at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
He held talks with top city officials and energy experts, including former US Secretary of Energy and now a professor at MIT Ernest Moniz and Professor Henry Lee at Harvard.
Pradhan said energy accessibility and affordability is the Modi government’s primary priority.
“We have to give clean energy to all our citizens. Our energy basket predominantly has coal but gas and renewables will also be part of our energy mix in future,” he said.
He also emphasized that India’s goal to produce 175 GW renewable energy by 2022 and to ensure energy security requires delivering energy to a large mass of population in a short span, for which self-sufficiency will be critical.
“We will need to increase our production. All this we will be able to accomplish when we have technology.
Institutions like MIT and Harvard are natural points of innovation and new ideas. We are here to see how we can link this to our market, how we can bring the concept of energy justice as a deliverable,” he said.
During his interaction with students, Pradhan said they talked about energy as a commodity and how to make it into a business model that can be replicated across developing nations that have to fulfill energy requirements for its citizens.
On the government’s demonetization move, he said despite attempts at generating a “fear psychosis”, economic growth has been on track and will improve in the months ahead as a vast majority of the Indian population has supported the government’s move to combat corruption and black money.
He also attended a reception hosted for him by the Indian community in the greater Boston area, where he lauded the achievements of the Indian Diaspora. He called on the Indian community to contribute to the technological advancement of India.
“We need technology, innovation, good business models and processes to take our country to the next level of growth. As the world today becomes a global village, we need the support of the Indian Diaspora to realize this dream for our country,” he added.
8 percent growth
In his keynote address at the 2017 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Conference here, he said India’s economy will continue its momentum despite demonetization and achieve an eight per cent growth next year.
“Last November, we demonetized 85 per cent of our currency in circulation and even after that India’s GDP continues to grow. According to recent data, growth for the September-December quarter stood at 7 per cent,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan expressed confidence that India will “exceed” seven per cent overall growth rate this year and “achieve 8 per cent in the next year”.
Addressing students, faculty, energy analysts and experts at the MIT conference titled ‘Balance of Power: The Changing Energy Paradigm’, Pradhan underscored the Narendra Modi government’s emphasis on energy justice linked with climate justice.
“In India, we want to create a new energy story. We are committed to energy justice. Our approach has been holistic and covers conventional and alternate sources of energy with a view to promote Prime Minister Modi’s vision of energy justice to all linked with climate justice,” he said.
He also visited the MIT Energy Lab and saw the cutting- edge research on carbon capture being done by students and researchers, many of whom are of Indian-origin.
Addressing the MIT conference, Pradhan said, “global warming is real” and India still has millions of its citizens without access to energy.
The country is determined to provide energy to all its citizens, doing so in a sustainable manner, he said.
Depending on coal
“We will continue to depend on coal. However we will gradually shift to gas and renewables,” he said, adding that India believes in climate justice and will grow without harming the environment.
“We want to grow, however, we want to grow sustainably,” he said, reiterating the government’s target to provide electricity to all by 2018 and noting that majority of the power will be coal-based.
“Our dependence on coal will continue as we provide one of the most basic rights of modern world to all the citizens of India,” he said.
In the longer term, India will target to increase the share of natural gas to 20 per cent by 2030, Pradhan said.
He said coal provides 60 per cent energy to India and dependence on coal will continue.
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
