The power sector has been struggling with huge accounts receivables from the DISCOMs to the GENCOs, while the GOI was outlining strong plans and schemes to support “24x7 Power for All” as well as 175 GW of Renewable installation by 2022. In Q1 of 2020, the world slowly woke up to an unprecedented crisis that has now been recognized as one of the biggest crisis since the World Wars – the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. The outbreak started to affect India by March 2020, when the Prime Minister announced an initial socio-economic lockdown of 21 days. As the economy came to a grinding halt, the power sector came under its impact doe to 1) the impact on the labour force and 2) lowering of power demand.
At a time when India is reeling under the surge of the COVID-19 impact, CII White Paper on “Sustaining India’s Power and Renewable Energy Sector in the Wake of COVID19” is the result of a comprehensive industry survey undertaken under the aegis of CII National Committee on Power, CII Council on Renewable Energy, CII National Committee on Solar, CII National Committee on Wind, CII National Committee on Make in India for Renewables through the Membership of CII at a National and State level. This paper examines the short-term relief measures and the medium-term structural reforms required for the power sector to run as an essential service to the nation. The research efforts for this paper was supported by McKinsey & Company.