INDIA STANDS AT the threshold of significant economic growth. By 2047, the country aims to transform into a $30 trillion economy, achieving the status of a developed nation and attaining energy independence. The nation’s GDP is projected to double from the current $3.6 trillion by 2030, and another 200 million people are expected to be added to the current 1.4 billion in the next three decades.
To support this growth and enhance the standard of living for its citizens, India is making substantial investments in energy, transportation and urban infrastructure. However, this transformation is unfolding against the backdrop of global climate change, necessitating sustainable, resilient and inclusive development strategies.
In 2021, India ranked as the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change and, in the same year, suffered losses of $159 billion due to extreme heat. As many as 17 of 20 Indians are vulnerable to extreme hydro-meteorological disasters. A disproportionate amount of this burden is borne by vulnerable communities—49 per cent of urban Indians live in informal settlements, with unequal access to basic services, decent work and safe, healthy environments. The annual monsoons, on which the country’s agrarian economy is largely dependent, have become unpredictable, impacting food production and nutritional security, especially of small and marginal land holders.
TRANSITIONING TOWARDS CLEAN ENERGY
More than 745 million people globally still lack access to electricity. At the same time, energy is responsible for 73 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
This story is from the August 18, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 18, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is bridal wear on the wane?
So many guests walked out of Sabyasachi's grand 25th year celebration in Mumbai last weekend, a little confused, even outraged. How can India's most famous bridal wear designer not showcase a single bridal outfit? Guests were underwhelmed, or disappointed, unable to wrap their coiffed heads around the fact that India is changing, and fashion is now more than a lehenga.
The wedding goes slim
So Jeet Adani is to have a 'traditional and simple' wedding sans celebrities or media glare. His father told the press that the auspicious date was finalised during a visit by the Adani family to the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, where the muhurat was decided in the presence of vedic scholars.
INTO THE MOCHA-VERSE
Did Pantone get it right with its colour of the year 2025?
The art is in the right place
Joining a growing league of India's privately-owned museums is Sarmaya, a modern space that chronicles historic journeys
New words for old feelings
At a recent literary festival in Pune, its curator, the author Manjiri Prabhu, challenged me to prove my love of words by coining a few new ones. Inspired by the English language's habit of borrowing freely from the world's languages, I essayed these:
OIL AND MORE
India cannot be a spectator to what is unravelling in West Asia, say experts
We hope India will support two-state solution and help rebuild Gaza
War-torn Gaza, once home to Yasser Arafat, dreamt of self governance for the Palestinian territories. This time, its people are looking towards the Palestinian Authority to play a bigger role in helping implement the phased Israel-Hamas ceasefire, rebuilding territory and uniting Palestinians.
BACK TO BROMANCE
India's strategy will be to convince President Trump that there is no daylight between him and Prime Minister Modi in advancing their shared goals
Next industrial revolution will be driven by biotechnology and bio-economy
IN AUGUST 2024, the Union cabinet approved the BioE3 policy—Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment, a framework policy to leverage biotechnology for India's economic growth, environmental sustainability and employment generation. It prioritises bio-manufacturing initiatives in various sectors like biopolymers, smart proteins, bio-therapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, and marine and space research.
AMERICAN NIGHTMARE
With his strident anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, Donald Trump is killing the American dream for both documented and undocumented workers. Indians, especially the H-1B visa holders and aspirants, could suffer the most under the new administration's policies