Nick Ryan to join India Sustainable Growth Hub for webinar: "Counterparty Risk in the Indian Solar Market"
The EGC affiliate will join the ISGH's monthly webinar series to present research on solar power auctions in India.
EGC affiliate Nicholas Ryan will join the India Sustainable Growth Hub (ISGH) in their monthly webinar series on Aril 27, 2026, for a discussion on Counterparty Risk in the Indian Solar Market.
This session features Ryan, whose research examines how hold-up risk shapes procurement outcomes, drawing on comprehensive data from solar power auctions across India. Exploiting variation in whether auctions are intermediated by risky states or the trusted central government, his paper (attached) finds that counterparty risk raises solar prices by 10% and sharply reduces investment. Central government intermediation eliminates this risk premium entirely.
This presentation will be followed by two discussions. Priyanka Dutta, PhD candidate at the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi Centre, will offer an academic perspective drawing from her work, and engaging with the methodology and findings of the paper. Praveen Kumar, former Additional Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and former Secretary at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, will provide a policy perspective. The session will conclude with an open Q&A.
Webinar details
Date: Thursday, 30 April 2026
Time: 5:30–7:00 PM IST
Format: Online webinar. Please register here
About the speakers
Nicholas Ryan studies energy markets and environmental regulation in developing countries. Energy use enables high standards of living, but rapid, energy-intensive growth has caused many environmental problems in turn. Nick’s research measures how energy use and pollution emissions respond to regulation and market incentives. He received a PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012.
Priyanka Dutta is a PhD candidate at the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi Centre. Her research specializes in industrial organization and environmental economics, applying structural and empirical methods to study key issues in emerging markets, including auctions.
Praveen Kumar is a retired IAS officer (Tamil Nadu cadre, 1987 batch). He has served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). He has held senior leadership roles across multiple sectors and has led public sector enterprises such as SECI and IREDA.
About ISGH
ISGH is a platform that brings together expertise to support India’s transition to a sustainable, net-zero future. We are on a mission to ensure that sustainable growth and transition policies are informed by credible evidence and firmly grounded in practical realities. The Hub advances this mission in India in three ways: by funding high-quality research and offering a one-of-a-kind unified platform that connects researchers working on sustainable transition in India; by convening key actors (policymakers, government bodies, industry, academia, and not-for-profits) to foster a well-rounded, practice-informed perspective; and to strengthen capacity within the Indian policy ecosystem. ISGH is a collaboration of the International Growth Centre (LSE) and CECFEE (ISI Delhi).