Australian PM Albanese hails Modi for energy access 'unprecedented in human history'
Australian PM Albanese hails Modi for energy access 'unprecedented in human history'
NEW DELHI: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with providing energy access to India's population on a scale that, he said, no other country or leader has achieved before.
Speaking at an event on September 24 organised by the Asia Policy Institute in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, Albanese offered a sweeping endorsement of India's record on energy access under Modi.
"To give PM Modi credit, more people have been connected with access to energy in India under his reign than has occurred in any decade in any country or any region in human history," Albanese said.
Schemes behind the numbers
The Australian premier pointed to a series of flagship programmes that have expanded access to clean and reliable energy across the country:
- Under the Ujjwala scheme, more than 10.5 crore cooking gas connections have been provided since 2016, freeing millions of households from polluting cooking fuels.
- The Saubhagya scheme has helped electrify over 2.8 crore rural and poor urban households, bringing power to homes that had long remained off the grid.
- The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has connected over 50 lakh households with rooftop solar energy, pushing clean power into ordinary homes.
Albanese visit to India expected in December
Albanese is likely to visit India in December, when bilateral trade and cooperation in clean energy are expected to be high on the agenda. The remarks come as both nations look to deepen ties in renewable energy and sustainable development.