India Eyes Doubling Of Power Capacity To 1,121 GW By FY36

25 Mar 2026 CW Team

India plans to double installed power capacity to 1,121 GW by fiscal 2035-36 as peak demand is forecast at 459 GW. The plan marks a major infrastructure buildout from about 250 GW in 2024-25 and aims to scale non-fossil sources while retaining thermal capacity for stability.

Demand growth is projected to raise total energy requirement to 3,365 billion units by 2035-36, driven by industrial growth, urbanisation, electrification and data centres. Policy documents identify green hydrogen as an additional load driver as electrification deepens.

Officials have sought global investment and cooperation to modernise the sector, noting an estimated investment need of about $2.2 tn over two decades. An aggressive transmission expansion is planned and estimated at Rs 7.93 tn to integrate over 900 GW of non-fossil capacity, including major line and substation additions.

Non-fossil capacity is projected at 786 GW or nearly 70 per cent of the mix, with solar at 509 GW, wind at 155 GW and hydro at 77 GW while coal is expected to supply about 1,819 billion units or roughly 51 per cent of generation to assure baseload. The plan estimates storage needs of 174 GW and 888 GWh, including 80 GW of battery and 94 GW of pumped storage to enable energy shifting.

The report flags supply chain risks, noting that 75 to 80 per cent of lithium ion cells are imported and that dependence on external suppliers could raise geopolitical exposure. Ministers also outlined plans to expand regional interconnections to supply neighbouring countries. The roadmap frames a transition to a renewable led system while seeking to preserve reliability and affordability amid global volatility.

Infrastructure Transport

06 May 2026

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