New Energy

India Is Electrifying Faster Than China Using Cheap Green Tech

Developing countries are taking advantage of falling prices for solar, wind and batteries. 

An employee works at the solar cells and modules manufacturing facility of Adani Group in Mundra, Gujarat, India. 

Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg

China’s rapid electrification has been hailed as a miracle. By some measures, India is even further ahead.

The nation is electrifying faster and using fewer fossil fuels per capita than China did when it was at similar levels of economic development, according to a new report from the think tank Ember. It’s a sign that clean electricity could be the most direct way to boost growth for other developing economies, too.