Themes

Establishment of Energy Transition Hub for Eastern and North – Eastern States (ETHENS)

12 Feb 2026 12 Feb 2026

Roundtable on the Establishment of Energy Transition Hub for Eastern and North – Eastern States (ETHENS)

Navigating India’s Power Sector Transformation

India’s power sector is entering a decisive decade of transformation, driven by ambitious national targets to scale up non-fossil electricity capacity to 500 GW by 2030 and achieve Net-Zero emissions by 2070. While these commitments are shaping investments, grid planning, and market evolution, the Eastern and North-Eastern states have remained underrepresented in the clean energy space, despite their significant industrial base and renewable energy potential.

The Vision for ETHENS

In this context, the Energy Transition Hub for the Eastern and North-Eastern States (ETHENS) was conceptualized as a collaborative, DISCOM-driven platform. Anchored by utilities and supported by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), with TERI as the Knowledge Partner, ETHENS is designed to enable participating DISCOMs to jointly identify challenges, prioritize interventions, and implement evidence-based, scalable solutions. The platform serves to foster regional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building, while supporting technology assessments, pilot initiatives, and policy-relevant research.

Defining Regional Priorities

A dedicated roundtable brought together DISCOMs from the Eastern and North-Eastern states to deliberate on the necessity of such a regional institutional mechanism and to shape its design and priorities. The discussion focused on identifying shared technical and commercial challenges, defining a governance structure to ensure ETHENS remains utility-led and demand-driven, and outlining the specific types of support required during its initial phase.

A Catalyst for Regional Energy Inclusion

The outcomes of this roundtable laid the foundation for ETHENS to serve as a catalyst for change. By bridging the gap between regional needs and national objectives, the initiative aims to facilitate a more balanced, resilient, and inclusive energy transition across the Eastern and North-Eastern regions of India.