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Sudarshan Varadhan
For Sudarshan Varadhan's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The Baihetan hydropower plant on the border between Qiaojia county of Yunnan province and Ningnan county of Sichuan province, China
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 24, 2023
China and India lead Asia's biggest hydropower crunch in decades
Intense heat, low rainfall and other extreme weather conditions have left many major Asian economies facing shortages of renewable power.
Workers unload coal from a supply truck at a yard on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 4, 2023
India steps up coal use amid unusually dry weather
The driest August in more than a century has resulted in power generation surging to a record 162.7 billion kilowatt hours.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 23, 2023
Heat waves put Asia's renewable power fleet to the test
Temperatures in parts of the region rose above 40 degrees Celsius in late April, earlier than usual, causing widespread infrastructure damage and power outages.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 10, 2023
SMBC to end corporate finance for coal mining by 2040, but trade finance remains
Critics have previously pointed to the ambiguity on corporate financing, potentially providing a loophole for banks lending to pure-play coal miners.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2022
War and energy crisis fires global hunt for coal, sparking investment in polluting fuel
Buyers in Europe and beyond are now vying to pay top dollar for coal, often from remote places that until now hardly even shipped the fuel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2022
How an Indian cement maker bought Russian coal using yuan
The move shows one way in which Russia could continue to sell commodities abroad without settling in U.S. dollars despite restrictions aimed at freezing it out of financial markets.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2022
Why is India facing its worst power crisis in over six years?
New hybrid work models adopted since COVID-19 struck in 2020 have resulted in millions of Indians working from home, boosting residential daytime power use.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 20, 2022
India's power grid creaks under hybrid work model and heat wave
The country has traditionally seen peak demand late in the evening when people head back home but that has shifted to mid-afternoon when temperatures are hottest.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2021
Women force change at Indian iPhone plant after enduring bad food and crowded dorms
Workers reached their boiling point when tainted food sickened over 250 people, leading to a protest that shut down a plant where 17,000 had been working.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 19, 2021
Despite climate concerns, India may build new coal plants due to low cost
Coal's contribution to electricity generation in India fell for the second straight year in 2020, yet the fuel accounts for nearly three-quarters of its annual power output.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 9, 2018
India's aluminum producers increase sales to Japan amid industry shake-up
Indian aluminum producers including Hindalco Industries and Vedanta Ltd. are boosting sales to Japan as U.S. sanctions against Russia's Rusal and import tariffs shake up traditional supply routes.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores