President Pranab Mukherjee Monday called for improved energy efficiency to tackle the demand for power which has increased significantly because of industrialisation and urbanisation, even as there are limitations on supply.

Speaking during the presentation of the National Energy Conservation Awards and the Painting Competition Awards at a function at Vigyan Bhavan on National Energy Conservation Day, the president said India is the fourth-largest consumer of energy in the world, after the US, China and Russia.

He said accelerated industrialisation, growing urbanisation and an emerging consumer society has led to significant increase in energy demand.

Meeting the energy needs of the population in a scenario of heightened supply limitations poses a formidable challenge for sustainable economic growth, he said.

He said that as an effective strategy to counter this growing difficulty, the growth in energy demand vis-à-vis growth of GDP has to be contained, through improved energy efficiency, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

The president said resource-use efficiency and conservation are critical for the agenda of inclusive growth and development.

Energy conservation also implies substitution of costly imported energy by cheap energy. This will help in reducing our foreign exchange outgo, he said.

Conservation of energy is a critical development imperative that has multiple positive spin-offs, he stressed.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Power Secretary P.K. Sinha, and Director General Ajay Mathur of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.