Playing Chinese Checkers with India’s Hydro Sector

Both India and China are aggressively exploring hydropower projects with their eye on the same source: Water from the Brahmaputra. China intends to more extensively tap into resources from its water rich southern region to meet its burgeoning water and power needs in the population-dense northern and eastern regions. China’s plans for two megahydro projects in the south would divert water from its natural course during construction and eventually hold up substantial flow downstream, impacting the ambitious hydro development plans in India’s northeastern region, including Arunachal Pradesh. In this article for India’s PowerWatch, Girish Shirodkar of Strategic Decisions Group outlines the roadblocks for India’s hydro plans, including control issues in the region, international financing challenges and the lack of a water treaty or resource sharing agreement.

SDG has extensive energy consulting expertise, working with clients to address their most critical strategic challenges in an uncertain market environment. Our Energy and Environment team has developed strategy for and trained more than 1,000 energy executives in corporate strategy development and implementation, enterprise risk management, nuclear strategy and risk management, portfolio and asset management, and environmental strategy.