The Indian Government is on its way to achieving the goal of universal household electrification through the opening of 52 new coal mines since Narendra Modi’s government came to power in May 2014. Structural reform and the elimination of red tape and cumbersome procedures have been key to the progress. Nearly 20,000 villages in India and 24.8 million families have received power connections as a result. The 52 new coal mines reflect an 86 percent increase over the 28 mines it added in the five-year period between 2009 and 2014. The new mines added 164 million metric tons to India’s annual coal production capacity, increasing capacity by 113 percent over 2009-2014 additions. India generates 57 percent of its electricity from coal. The new mines have made electrification possible since India could meet the additional electricity demand of 5 to 6 percent through coal-fired electricity generation.

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