New Delhi: India is considering an unprecedented increase in coal power capacity, potentially building new plants until at least 2047, according to people familiar with the development.

The proposal, currently under discussion between the power ministry and the government’s policymaking agency NITI Aayog, marks a major shift from current projections that see net additions peaking by 2035, said the people, who asked not to be named. Industry leaders will be informed as soon as the numbers are finalized, the people added.

The plan ties in with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition to make the nation energy independent and upgrade its status from developing to developed nation by 2047. With enough reserves to last a century, policymakers are picking coal as the top option to reach those

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