Challenging institutional constraints in emerging contexts: Towards a typology of actor strategies for overcoming barriers to energy transitions in India

The sustainability transitions literature has discussed the notion of institutionalization of promising niches, but there is a limited understanding of the heterogeneity involved in the process regarding opposing coalitions of different actors supporting a niche and contested power relationships between them. In the context of emerging economies, the contested power relationships between heterogeneous coalitions of actors shaping transition pathways are crucial for the understanding institutionalization of promising niches. There are limited insights on the institutionalization of promising niches and the different forms of experimental institutional strategies which are successful or even less successful in mainstreaming promising niches. In order to address these issues in the literature, the paper develops a typology of three institutional strategies namely: (1) Institutional adaptation focusing on experimenting within institutional constraints and outside institutional constraints in protective spaces; (2) Institutional capacity building focusing on building new indigenous capabilities by drawing on transnational linkages; and (3) Institutional transformation focusing on deliberate attempt at transforming institutional arrangements through discursive battles between heterogeneous actors in forums. Empirically the paper focuses on sustainable energy transition in India and focuses on the development of wind and solar PV energy sector in India. The paper utilizes a qualitative case study approach and draws insights from several archival data sources, 42 semi-structured interviews and participant observations in forums, regulatory hearings and industry conferences collected during field research in India. The paper points to ways of purposefully steering and maneuvering sustainability transitions by using insights from the typology and presents implications for future research in the field of sustainability transitions.