Author
Asst Prof Ishita Sharma
Organisation/Institution
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
Country
INDIA
Panel
Energy Law
Title
Bridging Borders: Securing South Asia’s Energy Future through Cross-Border Collaboration
Abstract
South Asia stands at the intersection of rising energy demand, accelerating environmental degradation, and persistent regional fragmentation. Over the past two decades, the region’s energy demand has grown by more than 50% and is projected to more than double by 2050, while roughly two-thirds of its energy use is met through imported fuels, exposing deep structural vulnerabilities. Despite this, cross-border electricity trade remains limited, fossil-fuel centric, and governed primarily through ad hoc bilateral arrangements rather than coherent regional frameworks. This gap underscores the need for legally grounded regional market design to support large scale renewable integration. Focusing on India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, the study employs a qualitative, exploratory approach drawing on secondary data from institutions such as TERI, bilateral power trade agreements, and emerging platforms like the India Energy Exchange’s cross border mechanism and the proposed South Asian Regional Power Exchange. The analysis maps how India-Bhutan and India-Nepal hydropower trade, and nascent India-Nepal-Bangladesh arrangements, remain structurally bilateral, with limited third party access, weak dispute resolution mechanisms, and no region wide rules for renewable power or certificates. Drawing lessons from the ASEAN Power Grid and the Southern African Power Pool, the paper argues for an incremental shift from bilateral contracts to a rules based regional power pool with harmonised grid codes and renewable energy definitions, a dedicated regional market operator with a clear mandate for data sharing and congestion management, and standardized, transparent procedures for cross border wheeling and settlement. It proposes an integrated governance model that builds on, but also goes beyond, existing SAARC and BIMSTEC provisions by embedding binding market rules in intergovernmental agreements and empowering a regional technical body. Such a model is critical for unlocking cross border renewable investment, enhancing energy security, and improving environmental resilience in South Asia’s geopolitical context
Biography
Dr. Ishita Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Law at the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, where she specialises in public law and the intersections between law, technology, environment, and society. She holds a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), an LL.M. in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and a Ph.D. in Law, with her academic training rooted in critical constitutionalism and regulatory governance. Before joining RGNUL, Dr. Sharma taught at the School of Law, UPES Dehradun from 2018 to 2022, gaining experience in curriculum development, academic mentoring, and institutional coordination. At RGNUL, she teaches Constitutional Law, Judicial Process, Cyber Law, and Law and Technology. She also undertakes various administrative responsibilities, including course coordination, serving on the hostel committee, and acting as the single point of contact for institutional academic platforms. Her research spans constitutional law, technology regulation, digital rights, AI governance, environmental law, and energy jurisprudence. She is particularly interested in how regulatory systems respond to emerging technologies and complex governance challenges. Her recent work examines issues such as deepfakes, technology facilitated gender based violence, digital health infrastructures, and the legal design of regional energy markets in South Asia. She also engages in comparative research involving India, South Korea, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Dr. Sharma has published in reputed national and international journals and actively participates in conferences, workshops, and academic networks. Her scholarship aims to strengthen democratic governance, inform technology policy, and support environmentally and socially responsive regulatory frameworks.
