Green energy isn't an option but a necessity 

We have only one earth and it has to be saved at any cost. The tampering with the earth and nature in the name of development during the recent decades may cost heavy. The ill effects of global warming have started coming to the fore and all the countries need to pay attention to it. The next ten years for India are challenging but full of hope too. Our nation will overtake the rest of the countries by the year 2030 and will prove to be the third largest economy in the world. The new development is that from the point of view of the global economy, the focus has shifted to Asia. This is because Asia is home to 60 percent of the world's population and its GDP has overtaken the combined GDP of the rest of the world. The upcoming time belongs to India and the country will emerge as the third superpower, opines Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, who considers green energy as the most important thing in the times to come.
 
In the recent Asia Economic Dialogue it was highlighted that the next biggest challenge is global warming, which is a real threat to life on the earth. The only way to avoid this threat is to promote the Green Energy Revolution. There has to be a shift towards green energy. Reliance Industries is planning to invest around Rs 6 lakh crore in Gujarat by 2030-35. This investment will be mainly made for the generation of green energy. Reliance has entered into an agreement with the Gujarat government for this purpose. The company says that it will invest this money on the development of a 100 GW renewable energy power plant and green hydrogen ecosystem. Small and medium scale enterprises and new thinking entrepreneurs will also get the benefit of this facility. Land is being explored in Kutch, Banaskantha and Dholera in Gujarat for this renewable energy project. For this the company will need about 4.5 lakh acres of land. Ambani has already said that India will be among the top three economies of the world in the times to come, and Reliance Industries will be one of the strongest and most prestigious Indian multinationals in the world.
 
Electric vehicles (EVs) are a better option in terms of green energy. The demand for battery operated cars and two wheelers is increasing not only in India but globally. Sales of EV, especially battery-operated cars, grew significantly last year in the US, Europe, China and around the world. Booking of eCars is happening so fast that companies have started taking full amounts in advance from the customers. This does not mean that vehicles running on petrol and diesel are going out of use. Not so, but yes, the number of EV fans is increasing gradually. Industry experts believe that this year will prove to be important from the point of view of EVs. The International Energy Agency is very excited about the growth in EV sales. But it does not mean that everything will be good with this big change. Fewer parts are used in EVs, due to which the employment of millions of workers engaged in manufacturing of spare parts can be lost.

(Author is a senior journalist and columnist)