India's several interlinked energy related challenges can only be met by long-term planning and coordinated action by various stakeholders. By highlighting the Planning Commission's Integrated Energy Policy report, this article proposes the creation of a government-supported statutory energy modelling institution-the Bureau of Energy Information and Analysis-that works under the guidance of the Planning Commission to develop an in-house modelling and analysis capacity for India. It argues that such an institutional approach will strengthen India's existing energy modelling efforts and help create a community of committed energy specialists.