LED streetlights will become mandatory in New Delhi in the near future, as the city plans to replace existing traditional light sources with LEDs to reduce energy consumption, The India Times cited Power Minister Satyender Jain saying.

The city lighting energy consumption amounts to 60,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity alone, and switching to LEDs could halve the energy consumption.

"We will make LED street lighting mandatory in Delhi,” said Jain. “Will change those which have already been installed. I have told PWD to implement the same. If government creates a market then demand shall automatically go up and prices will come down."

Jain made the remarks while speaking at an exhibition of LED lighting products and technologies at Pragati Maidan.

Stressing the importance of sustainable living, he said the country needed to turn its focus onto renewable energy sources such as solar. Proper financing models should be developed to bring down solar costs and other clean energy sources, the Minister added.

The cost of solar energy per unit was INR 7 (US $0.10) when India’s AAP government assumed office, but the price has been driven down to INR 4.53 per unit.