India’s installed power generation capacity has crossed 530 gigawatts (GW) and is likely to approach 600 GW next year as the country rapidly expands renewable energy, thermal power and storage infrastructure, the Ministry of Power said on Tuesday.
According to Aadhar Raj, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Power, the surge reflects India’s strong push towards energy security and capacity expansion across multiple segments, including solar, wind, thermal and battery storage systems.
“With this battery storage, we already are at more than 530 gigawatt of installed capacity. Next year we are looking at somewhere close to 600,” Raj told ANI on the sidelines of a PHDCCI event on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). He added that a major share of upcoming capacity will come from battery energy storage systems.
The official said India’s power demand is growing at 7–8 per cent annually, making it one of the fastest-expanding electricity markets globally. Renewable energy additions alone are increasing at a pace of 30–40 GW per year.
Raj noted that India successfully met peak demand of around 270 GW despite global energy volatility and geopolitical tensions, calling it a sign of strong system resilience.
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He also outlined major future capacity plans, including around 97 GW of thermal power additions over the next five years and nearly 100 GW of nuclear capacity over the next 5–10 years.
On clean energy transition, he said the government is preparing a Rs 20,000 crore framework for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage projects aimed at building a circular carbon economy. This would focus on converting captured carbon into usable products using emerging technologies.
Energy storage is also a key priority, with over 44 GW of battery storage projects under viability gap funding and several NTPC projects in the pipeline.
Raj further said power distribution companies (DISCOMs) have shown improved financial performance and are moving towards viability, aided by reforms and private participation.
He added that smart meter rollout is being scaled up nationwide to improve grid efficiency, enable rooftop solar integration and support time-of-day tariffs.
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