India needs to grow rapidly for a number of years if she is to eradicate poverty and give her people a satisfactory standard of living. Only rapid sustainable growth can generate the resources needed to provide social and physical infrastructure for education, health services, clean water, sanitation, transport and energy. Only a fast developing economy can create adequate opportunities for gainful employment for all her people. India, as most other tropical countries is also likely to face increasing constraints due to global climate change, restricting the attainment of our short- and long-term goals of development. The Government has restructured policies to achieve a new vision based on faster, more broad-based and inclusive growth. The key goal is to reduce poverty rapidly and focus on bridging the various divides that continue to affect our society.

India needs high economic growth to reduce poverty. The consequences are higher energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Both can be reduced to some extent by prudent energy and GHG management.