Enabling Policy for eCooking Transition in India

The first session of the Talk Series – Phase IV, titled “Enabling Policy for eCooking Transition in India,” was organised by the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme in collaboration with its in-country partner, Finovista on April 4, 2025 in virtual mode. This session convened a diverse panel of speakers, including government representatives, policy advisors, utilities, and researchers, to deliberate on the evolving policy landscape required to support India’s transition to electric cooking (eCooking). The focus was on identifying enabling policy/programme mechanisms, sharing field insights, and aligning clean cooking initiatives with national and global sustainability goals.

Through this session, participants explored strategic opportunities for mainstreaming eCooking in India’s clean energy agenda. Discussions highlighted the critical role of ecosystem partnerships, integrated energy planning, behavioural nudging, appliance innovation, incentive planning, and financing models. Special attention was given to the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to scale up eCooking, particularly in underserved and rural regions. Overall, the event served as a platform for knowledge exchange and policy dialogue aimed at accelerating India’s clean cooking transition.

Speakers/Panelists

• Dr. Simon Batchelor, Director, MECS
• Mr. Jeevan Kumar Jethani, Sr. Director/Scientist-F, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
• Mr. Krishna Kumar Sinha, Advisor, Finovista
• Ms. Swetha Ravi Kumar, Executive Director, FSR Global
• Mr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Head of CES (DP), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited
• Ms. Beryl Onjala, Research Associate, Gamos East Africa
• Mr. Vimal Kumar, MECS India Lead & Cofounder, Finovista

Key Points Highlighted During the Session

• Mr. Vimal Kumar initiated the discussion by highlighting the successful completion of 36 modules, emphasizing the crucial role of partnerships and collaborative ecosystems in advancing the clean cooking sector.
• Dr. Simon Batchelor (Director, MECS) emphasized the global momentum around clean cooking, sharing that at the recent SEforALLGlobal Energy Forum, clean cooking was a central topic. He highlighted international efforts, such as his visit to the Netherlands where organizations are actively promoting electric cooking. He felt that the key focus should be on “Integrating energy planning,” and stressed the need for utilities and electricity providers to be involved in promoting eCooking

• Jeevan Kumar Jethani (MNRE)highlighted the transformative potential of energy efficiency in clean cooking, referencing successful initiatives like UJALA, which replaced 270 million bulbs and saved 20 GW. He referred to EESL’s planned deployment of 100 million BLDC fans and 2 million induction cooktops—75% more efficient than traditional cooking methods. He noted that while 103 million families received LPG connections under Ujjwala since 2016, challenges like refill costs and access constraint led many to revert to biomass. He emphasized exploring alternatives like solar cooking . Mr. Jethani also emphasisedneed for behavioural change and awareness for quicker adoption.Mr Jethani promoted the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which offers ₹78,000–₹85,000 subsidies (up to 3KW), with states like Rajasthan adding ₹17,000 more. He also mentioned IOCL’s Surya Nutan Cooktop (₹45,000) and its solar thermal battery storage that aids in cooking during night and on rainy days, noting cost and seasonal usability as barriers. He proposed expanding PM Surya Ghar’s scope, promoting solarelectricity for cooking (₹2–₹3/unit), offering 6.75% interest loans, and incentivizing free induction cooktops to accelerate adoption.

Swetha Ravi Kumar (FSR Global)aligned with Dr. Simon Batchelor on integrating eCooking into mainstream energy discussions and emphasized its importance in achieving SDG 7 (Clean and Affordable Energy for All). She proposed a structured policy and regulatory approach based on five key buckets:

• Appliances: Emphasized the need for diverse cooking devices including multi-cooking solutions like microwaves, and devices need to be classified and tailored to specific target audiences. Cost considerations are critical, particularly for low-income households with limited willingness to spend. Standardization is essential, as many users buy sub-standard products from local vendors due to the absence of uniform quality controls.
• Behavioural Nudging: Suggested promoting eCooking by highlighting savings in cost, health benefits, and offering attractive electricity tariffs through DISCOMs.
• Role of DISCOMs: Urged DISCOMs to assess their grid’s load-handling capacity, ensure supply reliability,along with Stable and continuous electricity .
• Substitution: Need to understand the drawbacks too, like the heating option of traditional cooking methods. This includes understanding space requirements for new appliances and evaluating national-level trade-offs, while maximizing societal benefits.
• Design Considerations: Stressed the importance of designing buildings to handle additional electrical load, especially in high-density areas. Planning urban infrastructure to incorporate rooftop solar systems for cooking energy, maximizing space and energy use efficiency.

She also highlighted the PAYGO (Pay-As-You-Go) model as a tool to improve access to financing, predict consumer behaviour, and engage financiers—especially for households with low upfront spending capacity. Furthermore, she noted the challenges posed by the digital divide, language barriers, and user behavioural patterns, which need targeted awareness and capacity-building efforts to overcome.

• Pramod Kumar Mishra emphasized the strong synergy between clean cooking initiatives and electricity distribution, highlighting that urban networks, like in Delhi, are well-equipped to handle induction cooking loads since cooking does not typically occur during peak hours. He positioned eCooking as an opportunity for DISCOMs, especially under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which ensures homes are equipped to support higher loads. He discussed the importance of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as a potential home energy storage solution. He also noted that while induction cooking loads are manageable, EV loads pose greater challenges to grid stability. He also talked about a Behavioural Energy Program involving 200,000 customers, BSES used comparative data to nudge users toward energy-saving behaviours. Mr. Mishra concluded that DISCOMs must proactively plan for evolving demand patterns and explore mechanisms to support eCooking adoption while maintaining grid resilience.

Presentation Highlights: Mr. Krishna Kumar Sinha, Advisor, Finovista

• Around 500 million Indians lack access to clean cooking, leading to 0.6 million annual deaths from indoor air pollution and contributing to 13% of national GHG emissions.
• While PMUY has expanded LPG connections to over 30 crore users, affordability and refill issues mean many beneficiaries still use polluting fuels.
• Government schemes like GoElectric, PM Surya Ghar Yojana, BEE’s star labelling, and 12% GST on solar appliances aim to accelerate the shift to clean electric cooking.
• India’s 452 GW installed capacity, including over 203 GW renewables (102.5 GW solar), makes it power-surplus and ready for eCooking expansion.
• Cultural preferences, weak rural electric infrastructure, and the need for subsidized tariffs and devices cost limit adoption.
• PLI schemes for solar PV and battery storage, along with energy storage initiatives and smart grid policies, are enabling the clean cooking ecosystem.
• Redirect LPG subsidies, promote locally made devices, raise awareness, and develop affordable, innovative appliances suited to Indian cooking.

Presentation Highlights: Ms. Beryl Onjala, Research Associate, Gamos East Africa Kenya’s eCooking Transition Strategy

• The government, with consultants, mapped multiple cooking energy pathways to guide a transition to cleaner fuels. This resulted in an action agenda with practical steps and policy action points.

• Strategic Focus Areas:
  • Incentivizing Stove Distributors – Reducing upfront appliance costs
  • Affordability & Carbon Finance – Leveraging carbon credits to subsidize cleaner cooking
  • Awareness & Economic Opportunity – Campaigns and growth opportunities at the user level

• Research Insights:
  • 81% of Kenyans have electricity access
  • 24% own an induction cooktop, but only 1% cook with electricity
  • LPG is still dominant, but 69.09% show readiness to transition

• Outlook to 2030:
  • eCooking adoption projected to rise to 40%
  • LPG use expected to decline with strategic multi-fuel planning

• Three Systemic Enablers Identified:
  • Strengthening the enabling environment
  • Validating innovative eCooking solutions
  • Bridging affordability and access gaps

Conclusion

This session emphasized that eCooking is no longer a niche conversation, it is a central pillar in India’s clean energy transition. With the right mix of financing, behaviour change strategies, and supportive infrastructure, the vision of clean, affordable, and reliable cooking for all is within reach. The talk concluded with a strong call to build collaborative ecosystems, expand government initiatives, and make energy-efficient cooking solutions accessible to all segments of society.