Policy Briefs & Reports

Beyond Poles and Wires: How to Keep the Electrons Flowing?

Ashwini K Swain, Navroz K Dubash

Centre for Policy Research

June 7, 2019

India’s move to electrify every village and household in the country has been lauded as a success. Building on decades of targeted programmes and public investments by multiple governments, the country completed 100% village electrification in April 2018; a year after, it has electrified nearly all ‘willing’ households. Despite the time it took to get here, these achievements are important milestones in India’s development trajectory. But does connecting households to the electric grid resolve the electricity access challenge? The answer depends on whether electrons flow through the wires and whether all consumers are served equally and adequately.