India's Green Leap: Faster Electrification, Lower Fossil Fuel Use Than China

• India is electrifying its economy faster than China did at a similar stage of development, while using significantly less fossil fuel per person.
• Research by Ember indicates India's per-capita coal and oil consumption is a fraction of China's at comparable development levels, challenging the traditional fossil-fuel-dependent growth narrative.
• The country benefits from dramatically cheaper solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles, technologies that were more expensive during China's initial electrification.
• Electric vehicles already account for 5% of new car sales in India, with per-capita oil consumption for road transport significantly lower than China's at a similar milestone.
• India's shift towards an 'electrostate' model, driven by economic sense and energy independence, aims to reduce its substantial fossil-fuel import bill, despite a strategic vulnerability due to China's dominance in green technology manufacturing.

Why It Matters: India is achieving rapid electrification with lower fossil fuel dependence than China, driven by economic benefits.