Mumbai

INDIA will spend US$10 billion annually on new power transmission lines to satisfy growing demand in under-served areas, according to the country's largest private power-grid operator.

The country lacks sufficient transmission infrastructure to link its increasing generation capacity to areas of burgeoning consumption, said Pratik Agarwal, chief executive officer at Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd. The central government may spend about US$6 billion annually, with the rest coming from the nation's states, he added.