Rohit Chandra’s short history of Indian energy

We cover: - How Cold War politics shaped early energy choices, how the national grid emerged from the railways, the true reasons behind coal nationalization, and the reality of managing large PSUs. - It also covers DISCOM load shedding, the centralization of solar power, the impact of the green transition on coal-belt states, and social resilience during energy crises. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 1:11 India's Energy Landscape in the 1960s 8:42 American vs. Soviet Influence on India's Energy Policy 14:33 NCDC and the Fragmented Coal Market 17:14 The Road to Coal Nationalization 23:20 Vertical Integration and the PSU Structure 32:41 The 1970s Oil Crisis and Nationalization of Coal & Banks 37:27 The Case for Coal Nationalization 42:04 Soviet Technology and the Rise of Opencast Mining 58:30 Development Banks and Rural Financing 1:07:04 Critiquing India's Renewable Energy Approach 1:12:22 Oil Majors, Conglomerates, and the Renewable Pivot 1:21:41 Why Renewable Build-Out Is Concentrated in Six States 1:33:48 CBAM and the Future of Indian Steel Exports 1:40:44 Energy Sovereignty in a Deglobalizing World 1:48:58 The Upcoming Book and Closing Thoughts