A growing clean energy economy, a rising India, a fully integrated regional grid and the birth of regional energy frameworks – such as the BIMSTEC and SAARC Framework for Energy Cooperation – offer huge scope and opportunity for our growth. If we want to become more relevant and less expendable, we have to inevitably rely on a reasonable pace and scale of smart, sustainable hydropower development that is not only commensurate with our capacity but takes advantage of our uniquely advantageous position.