Associate Researcher (December 2024 – present)

Biography:

Ashwini K. Swain is a Fellow at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, where he works on energy policy and governance, and energy transition. His research interests include political economy of electricity, subnational preparedness for the energy transition, and just transition from fossil dependency. He has also worked on public participation in service delivery and regulatory governance and has a keen interest in the political economy of India.

Ashwini has been actively engaging with civil society organisations and public agencies at national and subnational level on these issues. He also teaches at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. He has earlier worked at Centre for Policy Research, Energy for Growth Hub, Centre for Energy, Environment & Resources, CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition, Agence Française de Développement, University of York, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.

He holds a PhD in Politics from University of York and MPhil and MA degrees in Political Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Website: www.sustainablefutures.org/author/ashwini-k-swain/

Recent Publications:

• 2024: ‘Enabling the Energy Transition: Technology, Politics, & Institutions in India’s Energy System’, SFC Perspectives, New Delhi: Sustainable Futures Collaborative. (With Sarada Prasanna Das, Suravee Nayak, Catherine Ayallore & Navroz K Dubash) www.sustainablefutures.org/publication/enabling-the-energy-transition-technology-politics-institutions-in-indias-energy-system/
• 2023: Energy Transition Preparedness Initiative (ETPI) – Indicator Guidebook. Centre for Policy Research, Prayas (Energy Group), and World Resources Institute India. (With multiple authors from three organisations) https://etpi.in/publications/indicator-guidebook

–  2023: ETPI – Electricity Sector Report https://etpi.in/publications/electricity-report-2020-21

–  2024: ETPI – Building Sector Report https://etpi.in/publications/buildings-report-fy-2020-21

–  2024: ETPI – Transport Sector Report https://etpi.in/publications/transport-report-fy-2020-21

• 2023: ‘Green Industrial Policy for India’s Energy Transition’, in M. Jaspal (ed.) Powering India’s Future: Towards a People-Positive Energy Transition. New Delhi: Observer Research Foundation & Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, pp. 78-91. www.orfonline.org/research/powering-indias-future-towards-a-people-positive-energy-transition
• 2023: ‘Gender and Just Transition: Envisioning a Gender-transformative Pathway to Energy Transition in India’s Coal States’, Policy Brief, New Delhi: Centre for Policy Research. (With Suravee Nayak) https://cprindia.org/briefsreports/gender-and-just-transition-envisioning-a-gender-transformative-pathway-to-energy-transition-in-indias-coal-states/
• 2022: ‘Band-Aid Solutions Won’t Staunch India’s Power Crisis’, The India Forum, May 31. (With Rohit Chandra) www.theindiaforum.in/article/band-aid-staunch-india-power-crisis