Surprisingly, the traffic in India didn't scare me, but maybe that's because I'm such a bad driver (my mind wanders). Still, I noticed the rules drivers follow are largely unwritten. For instance, stopping at red lights seems to be optional. And I couldn't see that the traffic lanes served any purpose, as bicycles, motorcycles, three-wheel taxis and cars create a mosh pit of slow-moving confusion, all juggling for position. Mix in donkey- and oxen-pulled carts, and you have quite an experience. Not to mention the pedestrians who periodically spot a gap and make a dash across the road. Oh, I forgot to mention that horns are mandatory. The trucks in India even have signs on their bumpers that say “Honk Please.”

I was invited to India by Mr. J.G. Kulkarni, vice president of the Power Systems Group for the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA). This association is open to all companies who manufacture electrical equipment in India. Members include multinationals as well as small local enterprises. I discovered that only 6% of the equipment used on the power-delivery system is imported, while vendors export around 12% of the manufactured products.

As we emerge from this global recession, I've been trying to see what new dynamics might play out between mature and emerging markets. But I'd made little progress sitting at my desk reading releases, white papers and business magazines. It was time to hit the road.

Having already traveled to China last year, it was time to take on India. Over the course of eight days, I visited four cities, three utilities, two manufacturing plants and a 765-kV substation under construction. I had the opportunity to see the first-ever 1,200-kV transformer being wound at the Compton Greaves (CG) plant in Bhopal for the Power Grid Corporation of India. And I watched workers build a 765-kV substation in the northern province of Uttar Pradesh for regional utility Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL)

Construction of this sophisticated plant took advantage of high-tech and low-tech construction techniques. For example, the on-site mix plant had the capacity to measure water, sand, concrete and aggregate before mixing with an on-site laboratory to measure the compression strength of concrete cubes.

But at the same time, no cranes were in evidence as the construction crew from contractor Larsen & Toubro used rigging and jacks to move transformers and breakers from the flatbed trucks to their final destination. Construction was a mix of old and new as bricks were carried by laborers while concrete was pumped into place using concrete vibrators.

This substation is one of two to connect coal-fired generation in the West to the load centers of Uttar Pradesh. CG, the general contractor for this project, also manufactured the transformers, while the breakers came from China.

India does not have sufficient supply to meet demand and must rely on load shedding to divvy up what power is available. And with an economy that is growing at 8% to 9% a year, catching up is quite a task.

But this country is making great headway. The Power Grid Corporation of India is planning new 800-kV DC and 1,200-kV AC lines. Generation is being opened up to private companies to boost production. And regional utilities, including UPPCL, are making giant strides to reduce theft and to introduce smart grid technologies. We will see great progress in the energy sector in India in the coming years.

With a middle class of 300 million people and growing, India has it all: palaces, residential high rises and slums all mixed together. Oddly, after a week, incongruous India feels like home. I can't wait to go back.