The World Bank has approved financing packages for grid upgrades in India and Pakistan to accelerate the integration of clean energy projects (World Bank press release, 09/07/2026). According to the announcements, India’s financing package includes a USD820m loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a USD60m concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund, and a USD10m grant from IBRD’s Livable Planet Fund. A further USD4.2bn in commercial loans from private investors are expected to be mobilised for the installation of solar rooftops on households. Overall, the support is meant to support India’s PM Surya Ghar, the country’s flagship solar rooftop program. India aims to achieve net zero by 2070 and to reach 60% of non-fossil-fuel based energy on its electricity mix by 2035.
For its part, Pakistan got approved a USD376m financing for its Grid Stability Enhancement Project under the Boosting Energy Security through Transmission in Pakistan (BEST-PAK) programme. The project represents the first phase of a 10-year program to modernise Pakistan’s electricity transmission network, which is expected to bring 640 MW of wind energy that has been curtailed. Over its lifetime, the project is expected to avoid approximately 833 kt CO₂/ year. The loan should help the country to achieve 60% renewable energy in its electricity mix by 2030.