FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Debashish Majumdar Managing Director, IREDA Energy efficiency and sustainable development are once again at the centre stage of all energy security related issues today, owing to the galloping global crude oil prices. In order to meet the huge energy demands in the coming future, there is a need to adopt alternate strategies with a thrust on unlocking large potential energy savings possible in every sector of the economy. Energy, environment and sustainable development are inter-related issues. Addressing the energy and environmental challenges calls for an understanding of the dynamics involved in this relation. The oil industry, which has taken the lead in developing many economies across the globe today, is faced with the challenge of oil crisis as well as for sustainable development. These challenges oblige the industry to act and to look for opportunities to channel its energies into business activities that address such challenges and contribute to human progress. This calls for looking into the possibility of exploring advanced processing technologies, such as new and modified carbon sequestration techniques. Over the next 25 years, global energy demand is projected to increase by 60%. Under current practices, fossil fuel will continue to dominate the global energy mix, with severe environmental and trade consequences. In response, countries around the world are seeking cleaner, locally based energy alternatives for sustaining their economic growth, referred as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Energy efficiency offers a "win-win" solution in the near term, to reduce demand while continuing to pursue the goals of economic and environmental sustainability, through CDM. Improving energy efficiency throughout the economy reduces infrastructure bottlenecks and future investment requirements. Enhanced energy efficiency offers opportunities to lower production costs and risk; free up capital for other social and economic development needs; increase a company’s and country’s competitiveness through more sustainable industrial production; create local job and business opportunities; reduce local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously; improve system reliability and reduce shortages. The pace of development in India has been picking up very rapidly. Today India consumes nearly 325 million metric tons of oil, this figure is most likely to double by 2020. India’s installed capacity for power generation has tripled in the last two decades and exceeds 110,000 MW as of date. However, the total demand is likely to increase by 3 to 3.5 times the present level by 2040. In order to achieve a GDP growth rate of 8%, there ought to be an annual increase of at least 5% in the energy demand in India. 18% of the current energy consumption is in building sector, and it is expected that this proportion in this sector will remain more or less the same, if not increased further. Large-scale adoption of energy efficient and conservation techniques/technologies in the building sector has caught pace in India. The industrial sector in India, which accounts for nearly 48% of the total energy consumption is under pressure to adopt new process technologies envisaging energy efficiency. Many companies that had previously been following conventional manufacturing process have been forced to look into innovative ways to reduce their energy consumption. Improving energy efficiency for such industries can many a times be achieved by simple process modification and adapting to low cost measures. Tea industry is one such conventional industry, from which the country takes pride in being the world leader, accounting for 31% of the total world tea production alone. The annual turn-over of the tea industry helps the country earn foreign reserves worth $413 million. However, there are some worrisome aspects of the tea industry, which need attention if it wants to maintain its place in the economy. Energy efficiency is an important area, which has been ignored and needs immediate attention. Back