When the current government's ambitious target of cent per cent household electrification came to light, it was considered a mammoth task, given our nation's population and size. Yet, Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) was launched at a cost of Rs 16,320 crore in September 2017, to change India's power narrative – uphill but laudable. India, with its cutting-edge innovation and advancement in technology, had not tended to the darkness pervasive across its rural sectors till Saubhagya expedited the electrification process. Caveats on the complexity, resulting from a large rural population, have surfaced recurrently whenever any ambitious attempt to electrify the nation has been discussed. For overcoming this, the current government deserves all praises. It has energised 2.44 crore households under the scheme, completing the daunting task of reaching even the most remote villages in a bid to provide electricity. In a statement issued on December 31, 2018, the Ministry of Power said: "The Nation has achieved yet another milestone in the power sector with the completion of electrification in hundred per cent household in 25 states at the year-end." According to the Saubhagya portal, about 3.58 lakh households are left to be electrified in four states – Assam (1,63,016), Rajasthan (88,219), Meghalaya (86,317) and Chhattisgarh (20,293). Hoping to reach this target by Republic Day, the government is likely to achieve its goal ahead of the initial March 2019 deadline. Uttar Pradesh, with almost half the households as the entire country, remarkably set the benchmark by completing the task before the turn of the calendar. When the most populated state has been able to live up to the expectations of the scheme, there is little detriment preventing others from following. While the effort of the government heaps praises, it is equally important to note the lacunas that might have been overlooked in initiating this radical shift in the country's power paradigm. Yes, households have been electrified with many witnessing electricity for the first time in their lives. However, providing massive power at a reasonable cost remains a primary challenge. What good is power, if it is not reasonably priced? It will be a gross failure if people cannot afford it. Since the agrarian population's earnings meander through the year, they often fall short of accruing the income necessary to keep their meters running. Having an electrical connection has been the overarching goal of the scheme. But the pricing, as well as the continuous supply of electricity, are two areas which follow inevitably. Substandard power supply ruins the motive of the scheme. Once 100 per cent electrification has been achieved, the government must shift its focus to these qualitative aspects to ensure the scheme's comprehensive success. Significantly, this also serves as a flagship success for the Modi-government heading into this year's general polls. While India can proudly boast of the electrification programme that it has excellently delivered, it must also bring sustainable alternatives into play. Touted to become a solar power leader, India has explored this sustainable option well in the past years. With urban areas gradually moving towards solar power, the focus can be drawn towards linking it to the current scheme and diminishing the use of traditional coal for electricity. As it is, coal imports have witnessed a surge of 6.7 per cent to 171.81 million tonnes in the April-December period of the ongoing financial year. India is at a developmental crossroad where it can bridge its power requirement with sustainable alternatives and cut down fossil consumption. It adds to the sustainable development goals under UN which are in the collective interest of the entire world. The government has set a target of building 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022 to help meet one of the country's goals under the Paris climate agreement: renewable sources must account for up to 40 per cent of power generation capacity by 2030. There are already instances of solar power being promulgated in villages by Chirag Rural Development Foundation, a not-for-profit working to light up villages across the nation using solar power. Their initiative has helped light up over 16,000 villages, while around a lakh villagers have been parallelly benefitted. Similarly, following the culmination of Saubhagya scheme, a sustainable version of the same would grossly benefit the country – and also put us far ahead of the world on account of clean energy. India has massive potential for renewable sources, which is already evident with urban areas progressively opting for solar power. Tapping on this potential will surely cost more, but it will also help India reap more in the long run. Imagine a country whose villages are not only powered but sustainably powered. Now that we have almost accomplished the first target, we must strive to go all the way.