'Zero fossil fuel import must for Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision'

New Delhi: Zero dependence on fossil fuel is required for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said on Tuesday.

Singh also said that once renewable energy and balancing power become cost-effective, thermal electricity and fossil fuel will be a thing of past in India's energy mix.

"The vision for a truly Aatmanirbhar Bharat is zero-dependence on fossil fuel imports," Singh said in his address at CII Digital Conference on Aatmanirbhar Bharat on Renewable Energy Manufacturing.

The minister's statement assumes significance in the wake of India's huge dependence on import of fossil fuels.

"India is constantly thinking innovation in bringing out bids. It came out with a bid on Renewable Energy & storage.

"The Government is also exploring other bid options such as - round-the clock grid energy, balance by thermal, balance by hydro etc. The end objective is to increase demand for storage and bring down prices," he said in a statement issued by industry body CII.

In order to bring down renewable tariff, storage has to be viable, pumped hydro to take off, in-house manufacturing to jumpstart and battery to become cheap, Singh opined.