Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan for the third term involves some bold moves, including a radical blueprint to enable free electricity to all powered by solar panels in every household, a plan, when executed on scale, can dramatically lower India’s over-dependence on imported energy and polluting fossil fuels.

There is also an important subtext in the focus on solar energy: Increasing self-reliance on energy sources can progressively reduce the dependence on the dollar and hedge the Indian economy from the risks of leaning too heavily on the dollar, which is primarily driven by crude oil import requirements.

The Prime Minister, in an exclusive interview to News18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, News18 Kannada Editor, Hariprasad, and News18 Lokmat Anchor Vilas Bade, laid out the plans that could also trigger a rapid transformation in India’s automobile sector, accelerating the transition towards electric vehicles as collapsing electricity costs dramatically lower running costs.

“My aim is PM Surya Ghar Yojana and zero electricity bill. I want solar panels in every household,” Modi said, underpinning the emphasis on easy access and availability of affordable electricity as part of a plan to dismantle a key infrastructure barrier that holds back potential economic opportunities for millions of households.

This marks a significant shift in focus from the previously stated goal of electricity for all, to the next phase of zero electricity bill for all, demonstrating the government’s intent to walk the talk on setting the bar high on establishing India as a global pioneer on energy-tech executed on scale.

“I just don’t want electricity bills to be zero, but I want three things. One, every household’s power bill should be zero; second, we should sell surplus electricity and earn money; and third, I want to be self-reliant in the energy sector as the era of electric vehicles will come. This is why I would like that whoever has a scooter or car should be able to charge it at home using solar energy. This means the transportation cost of Rs 1,000-Rs 2,000 per month for the person should also become zero”, he said.