India has the 5th largest hydroelectric power setup in the world, mainly because had poor access to fossil fuels and their extraction technology (even though it has vast stores of coal). It also acted as a good source of water for agriculture for a chiefly agrarian economy. As of 2020, 12.3% of power came from hydro, but fell in 2024 due to lack of rainfall. Which pushed up coal usage and emissions.

Ironic how climate change might push India to be less sustainable. However India is also investing heavily is solar, wind and nuclear, mainly as a backup for fluctuating geopolitics in Asia.