Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP)

The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) is a not for profit, public policy think tank based in New Delhi that conducts in-depth, policy relevant research to provide evidence-based recommendations to the challenges facing India and the world. CSEP was formerly known as Brookings Institution India Center, which had built a foundation of impactful work since 2014. Through this award, CSEP aims to examine and offer policy options for making the electricity sector resilient and ready for future technological and economic disruptions. Specifically, it examines the existing landscape of institutional structures and economic distortions within the electricity supply chain. Additionally, CSEP aims to build long-term models of the electricity sector, which will provide analytical support for the policy studies. Finally, CSEP presents actionable recommendations for making India’s electricity sector sustainable, one where electricity assumes even greater importance in the economy.

Established in 2013, Brookings India is the third and newest overseas center of the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution. Viable utilities underpin one of India’s longstanding ambitions, namely to provide reliable electricity to all its citizens, and are critical to advancing the nation’s climate and economic development goals. However, the economic health of many utilities is uncertain and there remains limited information about how major transformations in energy markets will affect a utility’s ability to meet customers’ needs. At the same time, India’s grid is modernizing, garnering significant capital investment as the nation continues to expand electricity access. Brookings India examines the regulatory, political, and economic contexts under which utilities in India operate to help improve the information available to policymakers, utility operators, and consumers.