Smaller firms make 40 per cent of India’s steel and are the backbone of cities like Raipur. Some are exploring solar power, but face big constraints to make a deeper shift from coal.
Rising electricity demand from data centres is putting pressure on the country to expand generation and grid capacity, but shorter-term commitments from some operators could make it harder to recover the cost of those investments, said the country’s energy regulator.
The region must strengthen grids and clean energy capacity to incorporate AI for efficiency, experts say. But in China, the technology is no silver bullet for decarbonising energy systems.