NEW DELHI: Wind energy can help India save nearly Rs 2.3 lakh crore, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.
Speaking at the Global Wind Day Conference in Goa, the minister said India's wind energy potential remains enormous and largely untapped.
According to him, at a hub height of 150 metres, the country's estimated wind energy potential stands at nearly 1,164 GW—among the largest renewable energy opportunities anywhere in the world.
“The country is targeting 100 GW of wind capacity by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036, making wind power a critical pillar of India's clean energy transition,” said Joshi.
India's cumulative installed wind power capacity stood at approximately 56.09 GW as of March 2026. This represents slightly over one-tenth of the country's total installed electricity generation capacity, underscoring wind energy's importance in the national power mix.
The country achieved its highest-ever annual wind capacity addition of 6.05 GW during FY2025-26. This represents an increase of nearly 46% over the capacity added in FY2024-25, marking a decisive acceleration in India's onshore wind deployment trajectory.
The minister said the future lies in integrated systems combining wind, solar, storage and forecasting to deliver affordable 24x7 clean energy. According to him, wind energy is no longer just a source of power—it is becoming a reliability resource.
On the repowering of older wind projects, which involves replacing ageing or outdated turbines with newer and more efficient ones to increase generation capacity, the minister said repowering can significantly enhance India's wind energy output. He said repowering would help accelerate progress towards the country's target of achieving 100 GW of wind energy capacity by 2030.
“Many of the challenges are administrative rather than technical. We will work on resolving these issues and have requested the industry association to submit a detailed report on repowering within 30 days,” said the minister.
On offshore wind potential, Joshi said studies have been conducted, particularly in Tamil Nadu.
“Since the first project carries higher costs, per-unit electricity costs are also higher. Industry believes additional government support is required, and we are examining those concerns. We are in discussions with the Tamil Nadu government and want to successfully demonstrate an initial project. That is why our current focus is on Tamil Nadu, where the potential is strongest,” he added.
The minister also launched the Wind Turbine Supply Chain Management (WT-MARUT) Portal, India's first dedicated digital platform for wind supply chain management, at the Global Wind Day Conference.
In addition, Joshi launched Suzlon's S175 (5 MW) wind turbine following its commissioning at Vijayanagar, Karnataka.