This paper reviews the outlook for electricity demand growth in India, establishes a role for DSM programs in meeting the country's energy needs, identifies which types of program are most appropriate for India, provides estimates of the theoretical maximum energy and peak demand savings that may be achieved through DSM programs, and gives program design and implementation suggestions. DSM options, including efficiency measures, cogeneration systems, and load management strategies, are presented. Barriers to the successful implementation of DSM programs are identified, and strategies for overcoming these barriers are proposed. We demonstrate how secondary data sources can be effectively used for a good first-level assessment of energy-efficiency options in India, and suggest that this approach may be appropriate to other developing countries as well.