India has imposed stringent new rules on wind turbine equipment manufacturers, requiring them to locally source critical components and comply with strict data localisation regulations, according to a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notification issued late Thursday.

Manufacturers must now procure key components—including blades, towers, generators, gearboxes, and special bearings—from vendors listed in the upcoming Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), which the ministry will issue separately.

A technical team set up by MNRE will conduct inspections, and a separate standard operating procedure will be released to guide compliance.

In addition, the directive mandates that all wind turbine operational data be stored within India, prohibits real-time transfer of such data overseas, and requires operational control and R&D centres to be located domestically within one year.

These measures aim to strengthen India’s domestic wind turbine manufacturing industry, which currently has an annual capacity of 20 GW. The policy aligns with India’s broader clean energy goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity—including hydro and nuclear—by 2030, up from the current 235.6 GW.

Some exemptions apply, including for already bid-out and near-term projects. New turbine models will be allowed up to 800 MW of exempted capacity over two years but must file quarterly progress updates.