Impacts of Digital Innovation, Economic Development and Agricultural Land on India's Renewable Energy Transition and Sustainable Development

Abstract

India's transformation to a future with more sustainable energy is essential for meeting rising energy demands and addressing environmental challenges. Prioritizing deployment of renewable energy can decrease fossil fuel dependence and enhance energy security. This research explores the effects of economic growth, information and communication technology (ICT) development, CO₂ emissions and agricultural land expansion on renewable energy consumption in India from 1990 to 2023 by using World Bank data. Dynamics ordinary least-squares regression (DOLS), Fully modified Ordinary Least Squared (FMOLS) and Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR) are the three advanced cointegration approaches used in this work. The findings demonstrate that ICT development significantly encourages the utilization of renewable energy, while economic expansion, agricultural land expansion and CO₂ emissions hinder integration. These findings suggest that India can accelerate its renewable energy transition by making investments in digital innovation and ICT infrastructure, while simultaneously adopting sustainable land-use strategies and effective carbon management policies to reduce environmental pressures and balance economic growth with sustainability goals.