Sarada Prasanna Das
Fellow, Energy Transitions
Sarada Prasanna Das is Fellow at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC). He works on the sociology and politics of electricity governance and energy transition in India. He is also interested in environmental governance and water-energy-food nexus in the context of India. He has worked on post-reform electricity regulation and governance in Haryana, electricity reforms in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, and power procurement practices and resource planning by discoms in India. Prior to SFC, he worked at the Centre for Policy Research, Centre for Energy, Environment & Resources, and CUTS Institute for Regulation & competition. He holds PhD, MPhil and MA degrees in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Publications
Opinions
Adaptation and Resilience
India Needs a Just Adaptation Agenda
Ishan Kukreti, Sarada Prasanna Das, and Sony R K
Mongabay | 6 October 2026
Climate impacts are reshaping India's economy, yet adaptation is often assumed to be inherently just. India's first National Adaptation Plan must make justice enforceable, with statutory community consultation, vulnerability-weighted budgets across sectors, and independent monitoring of who benefits, so resilience reaches those most exposed rather than just those most visible.
Opinions
Energy Transitions
Towards the next frontiers in India’s energy transition
Sarada Prasanna Das and Shubhranshu Suman
Ideas for India | 5 October 2026
Non-fossil installed power capacity now constitutes a significant share of India’s total installed power capacity. In this post, Das and Suman argue that the next stage of India’s energy transition requires greater attention to system integration and the actual contribution of clean energy to electricity generation – while also recognising the broader socioeconomic opportunities that the transition can create.
Reports
Energy Transitions
The Energy Transition in Irrigation: A Case Study on Community Solar Irrigation in Chhattisgarh
Sarada Prasanna Das, Ashwini K. Swain, and Catherine Ayallore
ETPI | 30 September 2026
Chhattisgarh is implementing India’s first large-scale, state-supported community solar irrigation scheme. This case study finds it has brought irrigation to 2,851 hectares, directly benefiting 2,740 marginal and small farmers. It examines how the scheme combines local and line department funds with state institutional support, and its potential for livelihood gains.
Books and book chapters
Energy Transitions
Urban Energy Transition in India: Reimagining Cities as Catalysts for 21st Century Energy Transition
Ashwini K. Swain and Sarada Prasanna Das
Routledge | 31 August 2026
India's rapid urbanisation implies that a significant part of its energy demand growth will come from its cities. While cities have traditionally been importers of energy, the 21st century energy transition presents a unique opportunity for them to play an active role in shaping the national energy future.
Opinions
Energy Transitions
छत पे सोलर: सिर्फ सस्ती बिजली नहीं, उससे भी कहीं ज्यादा
Shubhranshu Suman and Sarada Prasanna Das
Down To Earth Hindi | 27 August 2026
सोलर रूफटॉप केवल एक स्वच्छ ऊर्जा प्रोजेक्ट या सब्सिडी देने का नया ज़रिया नहीं है| यह एक ऐसी विकास रणनीति है जो हर घर को ऊर्जा उत्पादक बनाएगी और स्थानीय अर्थव्यवस्था को सुदृढ़ करेगी। ऊर्जा प्रणाली को विकेंद्रित करने की दिशा में यह एक मज़बूत कदम है।
Reports
Energy Transitions
The Cross-Cutting Themes: A Study on Transition Preparedness in Ten Indian States (2023-24)
Sarada Prasanna Das, Ashwini Swain et al.
ETPI | 31 July 2026
The study presents three major crosscutting aspects for FY 2023–24: LCD and climate planning, frontline capacity building, and the articulation of a just transition in 10 selected Indian states.
Opinions
Energy Transitions
Rooftop solar push needs more than subsidies
Sarada Prasanna Das
Orissa Post | 16 July 2026
Odisha must ensure that rooftop solar systems are designed for the state's climate realities and long-term development needs.
Opinions
Adaptation and Resilience
Energy Transitions
How India can keep cool as energy demands overheat its power grid
Sarada Prasanna Das, Anna Agarwal, and Shubranshu Suman
Scroll | 24 June 2026
Heatwaves are no longer temporary disruptions to India’s power system; they are emerging as one of its defining operating conditions. The challenge is not merely to keep pace with rising power demand, but also to build a power system that is reliable, climate-resilient, socially equitable, and capable of supporting the country’s long-term energy transition.
Opinions
Energy Transitions
संतुलित शीतलन, सुदृढ़ ग्रिड: भारत की संकटग्रस्त विद्युत प्रणाली के लिए सुधार का मार्ग
Sarada Prasanna Das, Anna Agarwal, and Shubranshu Suman
Down To Earth Hindi | 19 June 2026
देश के सम्मुख चुनौती अब केवल बढ़ती हुई बिजली मांग के साथ कदमताल मिलाने तक सीमित नहीं है| यह एक ऐसी बिजली प्रणाली का निर्माण करने की है जो पूर्णतः विश्वसनीय, जलवायु-अनुकूल, सामाजिक रूप से न्यायसंगत, और भारत के दीर्घकालिक ऊर्जा संक्रमण के लक्ष्यों को संबल प्रदान करने में पूर्णतः समर्थ हो।