ABSTRACT
Since the 1990s, India has heavily pursued building connectivity with its eastern neighbors to access the vibrant markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Using the land borders of the North Eastern Region (NER) of India as a gateway to ASEAN countries was always seen as a strategic move on the part of the Government of India, which was also the premise in its landmark external policies, such as the “Look East Policy” (“Act East Policy”). This chapter assess the importance of hierarchical interactions across all stakeholders for cross-border energy trade, the role of hydropower as a grid stabilizer and importance of cross-border grid integration with the regional power grid (ASEAN Power Grid) as a policy instrument. It delineates the prospect of cross-border trade between India's NER and its neighboring countries, such as ASEAN countries. An organisational chart presents the hierarchical decision-making framework for sustainable energy systems, which consists of four indicators: economic, social, institutional, and environmental indicators.
