Editor’s Note: This column is part of a regular series by industry veteran Brad Hitch for NGI’s LNG Insight dedicated to addressing the complexities of the global natural gas market.

The Indian economy was not immune to the economic slowdown caused by the global pandemic in 2020. As in many countries, lockdowns led to a spike in unemployment and quick drops in most measures of economic activity.

Overall energy consumption in India fell by 6% in 2020 – reflected by reductions in oil consumption (9% decline), coal consumption (6% decline) and electricity generation (4% decline).   

When considering the statistics from that year there are two notable outliers to the decline story.  The first is an increase in year-over-year renewable generation that was driven by additions...