Core Viewpoint - Indian private coal power producers are urging the government to relax import restrictions on Chinese coal power equipment, citing potential bankruptcy without such measures [1][3]. Group 1: Industry Challenges - The expansion plans for coal power in India face significant challenges, including domestic resource shortages and high costs, making purchasing equipment from China the "only option" [3]. - Approximately 22 GW of private coal power projects in India are stalled or unlikely to commence due to financial issues, representing 10% of the country's current coal power capacity [3]. - The Indian government is caught in an energy paradox, needing to achieve a target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2027 while still relying on coal for 72% of its power generation [3]. Group 2: Technological Disparities - Indian power plants face significant operational challenges with domestically produced desulfurization equipment, which has a failure rate three times higher than Chinese equipment and longer maintenance cycles [3]. - China's ultra-high voltage transmission technology reduces power loss to 2%, outperforming India's average loss by 18 percentage points [3]. - The cost advantages of Chinese equipment stem from a complete industrial chain, with costs for components being 50% lower than India's fragmented procurement [3]. Group 3: International Trade and Cooperation - The imposition of a 50% tariff on Indian solar panels by the Trump administration has increased the cost of renewable energy projects in India by 20%, reinforcing the need for energy cooperation with China [4]. - China's supercritical coal power technology, with a coal consumption rate of 256 grams per kilowatt-hour, is 35% more efficient than India's existing units, highlighting the importance of Chinese technology in India's energy landscape [4]. Group 4: Strategic Responses - India may adopt a "stepwise breakthrough" strategy, initially acquiring desulfurization technology through joint ventures before gradually penetrating the renewable energy sector [5]. - The collaboration between China Power Construction and Adani Group on a solar-coal complementary project serves as a test case for this strategy [5]. - The transfer of core technology will likely come with strict conditions, similar to China's approach in Pakistan's nuclear projects, indicating a new balance of "exchanging market access for technology without relinquishing control" [5].