As the world transitions toward a low-carbon future, clean energy has emerged not only as an environmental necessity but also as a strategic tool for global influence. For India, this transformation presents its greatest soft power opportunity, if we can harness it effectively. With a population of 1.4 billion, a rapidly growing economy, and ambitious Renewable Energy (RE) goals, India has the chance to shape the Global Clean Energy agenda while strengthening its own economic and diplomatic standing.
India has made remarkable progress in RE adoption over the past decade. Today, it stands as the world’s third largest producer of RE, with installed capacity exceeding 197 GW as on September 2025. India is heading to achieve 500 GW of Clean Energy by 2030, growing further to 1800 GW by 2047 and Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2070.
These milestones not only demonstrate climate responsibility but also establish India as a credible global player in sustainability. At a time when developed economies are slowing their climate commitments, India can project itself as a proactive leader, leveraging clean energy as a diplomatic and economic asset.
The first major opportunity lies in Green Hydrogen. As hydrogen emerges as a clean fuel of the future, India can position itself as a global supplier, both of hydrogen itself and of the components required for its production and storage. With abundant renewable resources and growing industrial demand, India is well placed to export hydrogen to energy-hungry regions.
The second opportunity is in manufacturing leadership. India’s manufacturing capacity for solar PV modules has already reached 100 GW annually, for wind turbines, it is reaching 20 GW annually, and there is significant potential for indigenisation of other RE components. By strengthening domestic manufacturing, India can reduce its dependence on imports and simultaneously become an exporter of clean energy solutions.
The third is skills and human capital export. Further to serving India’s captive needs, the vast pool of engineers and technicians can play a pivotal role in building and operating RE projects across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Much like how India became the world’s back-office through IT exports, it can now become the workforce hub for the global clean energy economy.
To be better Cleantech, India’s reliance on coal needs to be reduced, and shifting public transport and logistics toward EVs and hydrogen needs to be expeditiously enhanced. Competing with leading global economies in manufacturing scale and cost is a challenge. Consistent policy, global partnerships, and a culture of innovation will address these challenges.
Finally, India’s geographic positioning gives it natural access to strategic regions. Stronger energy partnerships with Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Arab world will not only expand markets for Indian technologies but also deepen geopolitical influence.
For India to realise this vision, financing is critical. Establishing specialised green finance institutions or consortia of banks to support clean energy manufacturing and export hubs will be essential. Equally important is policy diplomacy. By actively advocating for global climate action in multilateral forums, India can enhance its credibility as a clean energy champion.
For capitalising on clean energy to gain the soft power, India must showcase its progress by expanding its manufacturing capacity and build global supply chains, thus exporting both technology and talent. More importantly, India must accelerate the transition of its domestic energy mix and reduce emissions to achieve the committed targets.
This, in turn, would attract foreign investment opportunities, drawing capital from both established and emerging economies eager to tap into India’s vast market and its rapidly growing clean energy ecosystem.
These investments wouldn’t just be in the form of financial capital, but would also bring in critical technologies, knowledge transfers, and strategic collaborations. By positioning itself as a competitive, high-growth RE hub, India can become the focal point for global companies looking to scale their green technologies or tap into the country’s diverse energy market.
If played right, India’s clean energy revolution could become its greatest soft power asset, projecting influence not through military might, but through the promise of a culturally sound, innovative, cleaner, and more sustainable world!
(The writer is the CEO of CEO of The POWERCON Group.)
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.)
