Exclusive: UK-India energy partnership strengthens as Miliband backs clean transition

BRITAIN sees India as a “crucial partner” as both countries aim to deepen their cooperation on clean energy, with a focus on renewables and climate action, UK secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Miliband, said.

On a visit to India this week, Miliband highlighted India’s ambitious renewable energy targets and its commitment to achieving net zero by 2070.

In an interview with Eastern Eye on Tuesday (11), Miliband said, “I come away with a real sense of India’s ambition, and also a broader sense that some people in the UK ask, ‘Is Britain the only country pursuing this clean energy transition?’ Well, the answer is no, because I have just come to India and seen the real endeavour there is here to make this clean energy transition happen because of a belief that it can really work for India.”

At the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, held in New Delhi on Monday (10), India's minister of power and housing and urban affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Miliband announced the launch of phase-2 of the Accelerating Smart Power and Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) programme.

It aims to enhance energy security through technical support for round-the-clock power supply, expansion of renewable energy projects, and advancements in industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation.

The initiative has been developed in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Power (MOP) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Miliband told Eastern Eye he was “really struck by the shared vision there is around the clean energy transition, the shared vision around energy security, around growth and tackling the climate crisis.”

He said his meetings with Indian officials reinforced the commitment to work together in key areas, including grid modernisation, offshore wind, and industrial decarbonisation.

“We’ve agreed to work together on grids, because that is a big issue, and we’ve agreed to deepen and strengthen our partnership because in all these respects, climate change is an issue that crosses borders, and it’s in all of our interests to work together on it,” the secretary of state said.

The UK is supporting India in offshore wind energy, and Miliband noted Britain’s expertise in the sector.

He also pointed to the role of UK businesses in India’s energy transition.

“I met a whole range of UK businesses at the UK pavilion at India Energy Week. It’s remarkable, actually, the different areas of businesses I saw - on mobility, around batteries and electric vehicles, offshore wind and how it can work with the government of India and the private sector in India. There are huge opportunities for British businesses here.”

Both the UK and India also share challenges in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, he said.

“The UK cost of living crisis that we’ve seen, and continue to see, is caused by our exposure to fossil fuels which are priced on the international market, and that’s what led to prices spiking so much, and prices being high, bills being high, at the moment.

“The more we drive to clean energy, the more we have clean, home-grown power that we control,” Miliband said.

He noted that India’s approach aligns with this view. “I’m really struck being here that, you know, that narrative, that argument is also being made here. Prime minister (Narendra) Modi talks of net zero being a net positive for India, and wanting India to be a country that is the first to urbanise and industrialise through clean energy.”

On the proposed UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and its impact on renewable energy cooperation, Miliband said the negotiations, set to begin in the coming weeks, would be important, but did not discuss specifics. “The more we can do on trade, the better it can be for both countries,” he said.

Miliband stressed, however, that clean energy collaboration would continue regardless of the FTA talks. “Even while negotiations continue, we can work together on clean energy. The message from the Indian government and businesses is a clear desire for UK firms to be involved, bringing their expertise to work with Indian partners.”

He also linked the collaboration to global climate negotiations. “This is really, really important also for the international negotiations, the COP negotiations that will be taking place in Brazil later on this year.”

India plays a key role in UK foreign and trade policy, Miliband said, adding, the country “is really of great importance to the UK. We can build a really fruitful partnership on a whole range of issues.”

He noted the flurry of high-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries. “Prime minister Modi and Keir Starmer met last year. David Lammy came here just after becoming the foreign secretary. I’m here for this visit, and so I think there is really fruitful cooperation we can do together.”

India and the UK have been strengthening their energy partnership through joint initiatives and investments. The UK-India Roadmap 2030 outlines commitments on climate action and clean energy transition, with both countries aiming to expand cooperation in offshore wind, solar energy, and green hydrogen.

The UK has supported India’s energy transition through technical expertise and private sector collaboration. Ministers have highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security and sustainable development and expanding cooperation in power distribution, sector reforms, industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation, and electric mobility sectors.

Emerging areas such as energy storage, green data centres, and offshore wind - especially with a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - were highlighted as key priorities for future collaboration.

India has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and aims to generate 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The UK has pledged to work with India on policy frameworks, investment facilitation, and knowledge-sharing to support this transition.