India is suddenly everywhere in the global energy conversation. In just the first half of 2025, the country attracted $11.8 billion in renewable energy investments, its second-highest figure on record. Rooftop solar, hybrid projects, clean energy IPOs, and mega-parks are making headlines not just in the financial press but in living rooms and WhatsApp groups.
For a country that only a decade ago was painted as a hesitant mover in the clean energy race, this is nothing short of a pivot moment.
But here’s the catch: while the world is applauding India’s speed, the ground reality is more complicated. Policy clarity on one day often gives way to regulatory uncertainty the next. And just when investors are warming up, a legal bottleneck or a communication misfire risks cooling the momentum.
This is where two disciplines, strategic communication and legal-regulatory communication, need to work hand in hand if India wants to sustain this surge.
The communications challenge: Making ambition relatable
From mega auctions to the PM-Surya Ghar rooftop solar scheme, policy announcements are flying fast. But translating them into public confidence is another matter. For global investors, the story has to be about predictability: India as a stable, trustworthy bet. For domestic households, it’s about simplifying the scheme on their rooftop. And for state-level officials, it’s about ensuring they can implement policies without being drowned in jargon.
India has made communication wins before. Remember how the International Solar Alliance reshaped the narrative of India as a solar diplomat? Or how campaigns around energy access turned rural electrification into a story of aspiration?
The same needs to be repeated now, but sharper, faster, and with better anticipation of resistance, from land acquisition disputes to misinformation around renewable reliability.
Strategic communications in this moment is not about press releases. It’s about creating narratives that make policies both investable and relatable.
The legal challenge: Untangling the fine print
If communication builds trust, law builds the scaffolding. And right now, the scaffolding is creaking under the weight of rapid change. New mandates, like the August 31 deadline for using only approved domestic solar cells, sound neat on paper but create a scramble for compliance in reality.
Open access rules, rooftop incentives, and pending guidelines on Virtual Power Purchase Agreements are shifting the ground under developers’ feet faster than they can recalibrate contracts.
Legal bottlenecks are already visible. Disputes over curtailment, payment delays, and contract interpretation are on the rise. Smaller players are worried about exclusion as large manufacturers corner incentives. And Courts are increasingly being asked to referee in spaces where regulations are evolving faster than jurisprudence can.
The legal-regulatory challenge staring in the face is that how do you make sure India’s clean energy law doesn’t become a game of catch-up, where every ambitious policy is followed by a wave of disputes.
Where law meets communication
This is where the intersection becomes powerful. Communication without legal clarity is hollow. Legal reform without communication buy-in is toothless. Together, they can build the ecosystem India needs.
Take the example of VPPAs.
The draft guidelines promise to accelerate corporate adoption of clean energy, but if their legal language remains dense and their communication limited to policy circles, India will miss an opportunity. Simplify the guidelines, communicate the compliance pathways clearly, and suddenly both lawyers and investors are on the same page.
Or consider oversupply risks flagged in solar manufacturing.
The legal system must anticipate disputes around contracts, compliance, and product liability. But communication can soften the blow, preparing markets, educating consumers, and reframing oversupply as a transition challenge rather than a collapse story.
The next wave: What needs urgent attention
• Investor Confidence: Clearer communication around dispute resolution and faster regulatory timelines.
• State-level action: Better alignment between national ambition and state-level legal capacity.
• Public buy-in: Storytelling that goes beyond capacity numbers to show how renewable energy changes lives.
• Legal innovation: Proactive dispute mechanisms, stronger quality standards, and predictable enforcement.
India is no longer just racing toward its 2030 targets, it is being watched as a template for the global South. The $11.8 billion surge is a vote of confidence, but sustaining it requires more than capital. It requires clarity, credibility, and connection.
That is the sweet spot where strategic communication and legal-regulatory depth must meet. Because in the clean energy transition, the law writes the rules, but communication wins the game.
2 Responses
Excellent analysis, Nishant. As someone working in solar module manufacturing for 3+ years, I can confirm these challenges a
re very real on the ground.
The August 31 domestic solar cell mandate you mentioned is a perfect example. While the policy intent is clear – boost domestic manufacturing – the implementation timeline created genuine supply chain stress. Many of us had to rapidly reconfigure sourcing strategies and supplier relationships, often with incomplete guidance on compliance verification processes.
From a manufacturer’s perspective, what we desperately need is:
Regulatory Predictability: Clear timelines for policy implementation with adequate transition periods. The industry can adapt to ambitious targets, but sudden shifts mid-contract create unnecessary friction.
**Quality Standard Clarity**: The ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers) process, while necessary, needs streamlined communication. Many smaller players struggle to navigate the approval requirements simply due to information gaps, not capability issues.
Supply Chain Communication: Better coordination between ministry announcements and ground-level implementation guidance. When policies change, manufacturers need clear checklists, not just policy papers.
Your point about VPPAs resonates strongly – we’re seeing increasing corporate interest, but the legal complexity is deterring many potential buyers who want renewable energy but fear contractual complications.
The $11.8 billion investment figure is encouraging, but as you rightly note, sustaining this requires turning policy speed into implementation precision. The global South is indeed watching, and India’s ability to balance ambition with execution will set the template.
Thank YOu So much for your insights.