India and Electricity

According to the Planning Commission of India, 600 million people — roughly half the population — are off the electric grid...

The World Bank estimates that at least $4 billion in electricity is unaccounted for each year — that is to say, stolen. Transparency International estimated in 2005 that Indians paid $480 million in bribes to put in new connections or correct bills...

At Tata, company managers took pains to say that power shortages did not hinder their ability to meet deadlines for their clients.

“The work as such does not suffer,” said Gurinder Virk, an assistant general manager. “We have sufficient stocks of diesel at all times.” Behind the building, three generators purred as a sweltering evening descended. A 2004 World Bank survey found that 60 percent of companies in India have such facilities.

-Electricity Crisis Hobbles an India Eager to Ascend