impractical solutions regarding energy security and sustainability have been constantly discussed in the halls of Western governments, international bodies and summits held around the world, however it has been a lot of talk with no results. Conversely the Axis of Resistance consisting of Beijing, Moscow and Tehran actively work to create energy insecurity and even dependence on these rogue nations and their satellite states. Through a series of policies enacted by the Modi government in India and a major discovery the world’s largest democracy has the answers to create energy security whilst weakening the Axis of Resistance, but the West needs to commit to India’s vision and create policy advancing energy security through like-minded countries.
Every action has a reaction.
India has one of the fastest growing economies across multiple sectors with the manufacturing section expanding exponentially thus requiring the natural resources to fuel their rapid industrial base. To support economic growth ,India has used domestic coal reserves which will be depleted in a couple of decades, and oil imported from America, Saudi Arabia as well as the United Arab Emirates. This all changed when Russia invaded Ukraine and sanctions placed Russian crude caps at no more than $60/barrel. Every country must act in its own self-interest without sewing its own demise and a flawed sanctions system propelled Indian imports of Russian crude oil to the top of its suppliers, leapfrogging multiple countries overnight. As Western governments criticized Modi government for taking advantage of the fire sale on Russian crude, countries such as Germany were receiving refined Indian petroleum from sanctioned Russian crude. Germany, a country that is always on the verge of energy blackmail from Putin was buying Moscow’s end product and sanctioning the dictator at the same time. India’s economic minister has made it clear that his country will continue to buy oil at the cheapest price despite the optics with Venezuela becoming a supplier once again. Western policies towards tyrannical “petrol station” regimes should not enable this activity, especially with the specter of Iranian oil coming back to the market.
There has not been a decline in Russian oil shipped down through the Red Sea to India since October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks, the Houthis will not attack allied tankers of their paymasters sitting in Tehran. Another worrying sign is India’s rising imports of Iraqi oil, another client state of Iran that has surpassed American and Saudi trade with India. The answer to many of these problems is for America, Europe and certain Middle Eastern countries is to coordinate against Tehran, Moscow and Beijing instead of half-hearted measures and lip service. The Axis of Resistance understands that energy security or lack thereof is a trump card they can hold over nations which will not cede to their whims. The Islamic Republic of Iran can dictate oil production in Iraq and even Venezuela, or close off all exports from the region by making the Strait of Hormuz or Bab Al-Mandeb impassible. Their partner sitting in Moscow has the ability to turn off the spigot at any time and freeze out Europe and Beijing’s One Belt One Road’s objective is to control the world’s energy supply and by extension control the global economy. These are disastrous scenarios playing out in real-time, it has never been more prudent for a viable plan to decouple energy security from pariah states.
The Immediate Game Changer
For years the concept of energy security has been linked to the volatility of the Middle East and the belief that fossil fuel could be replaced by alternative resources, if so bloody conflicts with multiple energy crises would be a thing of the past, but there has been little progress since the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s. Biofuel along With the Brazilian model has been used and is currently part of Modi’s vision but can only alleviate some of the stress on the energy market, clearly not a silver bullet as Americans have seen ethanol in their gas tanks since Carter administration. Solar panels and multiple sources of renewable energy require lithium batteries, but the rapid growth and demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is noticeable for all with Kia to BMW rolling them off the production line. It may appear that the answer to energy security is at hand if oil is being replaced by lithium as the driver of the world economy, but countries which are not friendly to India or the West, mainly China, have purchased lithium deposits in other countries for many years.
The gamechanger was Modi’s government ability to succeed where others had failed and found a lithium deposit of 5.9 million tons inside India. Lithium which is now being described as white gold because of its soaring value and India is sitting on one of the world’s largest deposits and wants to work with the West as they move out of the stagnated non-aligned movement into the capitalist world.
Modi’s Green Hydrogen Policy – A long Term Vision
At the last G20 Summit in 2023 ,the U.S., India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create an economic corridor (IMEEC) that would also move green hydrogen, another layer of energy security for Europe. The IMEEC directly competes with Beijing’s One Belt One Road initiative to control energy distribution and strangle trade. America and Europe have an option to kowtow to Beijing, Moscow and Tehran or counter them by collaborating with India and creating an economic and energy corridor traveling through fifteen countries including Israel. “India’s rapid development of wind and solar power, alongside its advocacy for Green Hydrogen and Bio Fuel, is not just about energy; it’s about shaping a sustainable future. These efforts are slowly but surely establishing India’s leadership in Green Energy, showcasing a commitment to both innovation and environmental stewardship”, says Ravi Karkara, Global Sustainability Champion and Co Funder on India2047 NYC Investors Forum.
It is hard to imagine a country with 1.4 billion people becoming energy self-sufficient, but that is India’s trajectory, and the subcontinents use of solar and wind power has not even been discussed. Even more remarkable is the possibility India may hold the keys and vison for energy security. However ,India cannot do it alone and needs a greater commitment from the beforementioned countries that announced the MOU. Ultimately the Axis of Resistance has understood controlling energy supplies provides a leverage and they are moving towards this goal, the West is behind but now there is a viable gameplan for energy security and it runs through India.
