BBC World Service puts Indian energy in spotlight

Mark Gregory, travels the length and breadth of India investigating the country’s energy issues. His reports, ranging from power cuts to power theft, will feature in World Business Report daily at 16.30 GMT between Saturday 11 February and Saturday 18 February. It is part of the BBC World Service – Fuelling the Future mini-season which explores energy consumption around the world.

India has the fastest rising consumption of electricity of any country besides China. It is building new power stations at a quarter of the rate of China with an estimated cost of 275 billion dollars over the next 25 years and Mark explores where this money is likely to come from. World Business Report visits Trombay, a massive power station complex near Mumbai where Mark speaks to Adi Engineer, the CEO of India’s largest private sector power firm that runs it, Tata Power. Adi discusses with Mark how India plans to double its power generating capacitty by 2010, and quadruple it within 25 years. Mark will also bring the voices of consumers who complain that companies like Tata Power bring higher fuel bills but no improvement in the service.

The New Nation