Speaking to students at IIT Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, industrialist Gautam Adani warned that India must take charge of its own global narrative or risk having its progress misjudged and questioned.
Addressing young minds, Adani said the world is living in what he called an era of narrative control. “We live in an era of Narrative Colonisation, where the very nations that plundered resources, enslaved continents, and burned fossil fuels for two centuries, now stand on moral platforms in foreign capitals.” He added that many of these countries now want to decide how Bharat should grow and develop.
He described it as a contradiction that those who caused most environmental damage now want to set climate rules for others. “And so, if we do not control our own narrative, our growth will be criminalised, our aspirations de legitimised, and our right to improve our standard of living showcased as a global offence.”
Adani recalled that this approach became visible at the recent global climate summit where a report lowered Bharat’s sustainability ranking over coal usage and auctions. He then shared key data to underline India’s position. India is the world’s third largest electricity consumer. Yet per person usage is under 1,400 kilowatt hours a year. This is less than half the global average and far lower than the United States and Europe.
He also said that while India ranks third in total carbon emissions, per capita emissions remain below 2 tons. This compares with 14 tons in the United States, 9 tons in China and 6 tons in Europe. Over 200 years of industrial activity, India’s share in total global emissions is only 4 percent, against 13 percent from Europe, 19 percent from the United States and 20 percent from China.
“I share these statistics with you because this is what the battle for the narrative is. Many current ESG models are designed to penalise the developing world.” He urged students to build new models that fairly reflect the energy needs of Indians. “My challenge to you IIT ians is build the models that mathematically account for the energy dignity of our countrymen.”
He also pointed to India’s progress in clean energy. Over 50 percent of installed power generation capacity now comes from non fossil sources, reaching a global target five years early. He said Bharat will still need base load fossil power to protect energy dignity while leading one of the fastest energy transitions in history.
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