In August 2021, the coal-based generation capacity of NTPC, India’s largest power company, was 47.4 Gw. In just above ten years, the company expects to generate 60 Gw of renewable power from the current 1.1 Gw. If successful, it shall be one of the largest pivots from fossil fuel to renewables for any energy company in the world, in such a short time.

       To get a better sense of the scale of the switch, between now and 2032, NTPC has plans to commission another 12 Gw of coal power. It might add another 4 Gw through the inorganic route. Since thermal plants have a lead time of 5-7 ...