India's wind energy sector delivered its best-yet performance in 2025 with annual installation exceeding 6.05GW in 2025-26, while it is expected to surpass 8GW in 2026-27, said India's Minister for New &amp; Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi. Citing the growing year-on-year wind energy capacity building, he expressed optimism that the country is likely to have over 100GW of wind power generation capacity by 2030. Joshi spoke at Windergy India 2026, the flagship event of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (ITWMA), which brings together government officials, industry leaders, manufacturers, investors, technology providers to discuss the scale-up the growth of wind energy generation in the country.&nbsp;At present, India has an installed wind energy generation capacity of 59.2GW, while projects with a total generation capacity of 43GW remain under construction, which will help reach the 2030 target of exceeding 100GW of power from wind energy alone. For achieving this, the industry is working to scale up annual capacity addition by 9GW in 2027, 10GW in 2028, 12GW in 2029, and 13.2GW in 2032.&nbsp;"In 2023, India had barely 12GW of annual wind energy hardware manufacturing capacity, while the latest capacity puts us at 24GW. With exports reaching Rs.12,800cr in 2025-26, nearly 50% up from the previous year, India can significantly expand its global footprint," said Girish Tanti, Chairman, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (ITWMA).&nbsp;However, he also highlighted that India's share of global wind turbine exports stood at barely 2%, and that the goal is for India to capture 10% of the global market, by making wind turbines, components, related technology and engineering.&nbsp;&nbsp;Government data from mid-2026 shows that India's total installed power generation capacity reached 555GW, of which 46% comes from fossil fuels, 30% comes from solar, 10% from wind, 10% from hydro, and 1.6% from nuclear, among others.&nbsp;Sharing Global Wind report data on how the installed capacity for wind energy generation has grown globally over the last decade, ITWMA pointed out that it went from 433GW in 2015 to 745GW in 2020, and then 1,299GW in 2025. If this trend of growing wind power capacity addition continues, the installed capacity could reach 2,268GW globally, they added.&nbsp;As an indication of how wind power is being widely adopted across geographies, ITWMA cited that 57 nations installed over 28,300 wind turbines in 2025 alone. As for wind energy's share in the world's total energy supply, it was around 2.5% in the year 2015 and has now risen to 8.5%, it was added.&nbsp;This has also been made possible due to the increasing size and power generation capacity of turbines: up from 2MW turbines a decade ago to now 4.7MW turbines with rotor diameters of 160 metres.

As an indication of how wind power is being widely adopted across geographies, ITWMA cited that 57 nations installed over 28,300 wind turbines in 2025 alone. As for wind energy's share in the world's total energy supply, it was around 2.5% in the year 2015 and has now risen to 8.5%. 

India's wind energy sector delivered its best-yet performance in 2025 with annual installation exceeding 6.05GW in 2025-26, while it is expected to surpass 8GW in 2026-27, said India's Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi. Citing the growing year-on-year wind energy capacity building, he expressed optimism that the country is likely to have over 100GW of wind power generation capacity by 2030. Joshi spoke at Windergy India 2026, the flagship event of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (ITWMA), which brings together government officials, industry leaders, manufacturers, investors, technology providers to discuss the scale-up the growth of wind energy generation in the country. At present, India has an installed wind energy generation capacity of 59.2GW, while projects with a total generation capacity of 43GW remain under construction, which will help reach the 2030 target of exceeding 100GW of power from wind energy alone. For achieving this, the industry is working to scale up annual capacity addition by 9GW in 2027, 10GW in 2028, 12GW in 2029, and 13.2GW in 2032. "In 2023, India had barely 12GW of annual wind energy hardware manufacturing capacity, while the latest capacity puts us at 24GW. With exports reaching Rs.12,800cr in 2025-26, nearly 50% up from the previous year, India can significantly expand its global footprint," said Girish Tanti, Chairman, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (ITWMA). However, he also highlighted that India's share of global wind turbine exports stood at barely 2%, and that the goal is for India to capture 10% of the global market, by making wind turbines, components, related technology and engineering. Government data from mid-2026 shows that India's total installed power generation capacity reached 555GW, of which 46% comes from fossil fuels, 30% comes from solar, 10% from wind, 10% from hydro, and 1.6% from nuclear, among others. Sharing Global Wind report data on how the installed capacity for wind energy generation has grown globally over the last decade, ITWMA pointed out that it went from 433GW in 2015 to 745GW in 2020, and then 1,299GW in 2025. If this trend of growing wind power capacity addition continues, the installed capacity could reach 2,268GW globally, they added. As an indication of how wind power is being widely adopted across geographies, ITWMA cited that 57 nations installed over 28,300 wind turbines in 2025 alone. As for wind energy's share in the world's total energy supply, it was around 2.5% in the year 2015 and has now risen to 8.5%, it was added. This has also been made possible due to the increasing size and power generation capacity of turbines: up from 2MW turbines a decade ago to now 4.7MW turbines with rotor diameters of 160 metres.

As an indication of how wind power is being widely adopted across geographies, ITWMA cited that 57 nations installed over 28,300 wind turbines in 2025 alone. As for wind energy's share in the world's total energy supply, it was around 2.5% in the year 2015 and has now risen to 8.5%.&nbsp;

‘India on track to have 100GW wind power capacity by 2030; 8GW to be added in 2026’

India’s renewable-energy story has entered a new phase. The country is no longer debating whether it can build clean-energy capacity at scale; the more pressing question is whether the power generated can be evacuated and delivered where it is needed. With India’s non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity generation capacity crossing 300 GW as on July 31, 2026 — more than 60% of the 500 GW target for 2030 — transmission infrastructure, particularly Right of Way (RoW), is emerging as a critical governance and stakeholder-management challenge.&nbsp;The numbers underline the speed of the transition. Solar capacity has reached 164.59 GW, while wind stands at 58.14 GW. Large and small hydro together account for 57.24 GW, bio-power 11.75 GW and nuclear 8.78 GW. India now ranks third globally in renewable energy installed capacity. Solar, the principal growth engine, has risen from just 2.8 GW in 2014 to around 165 GW, while wind has grown from 21 GW to more than 58 GW during the same period.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/short-videos/india-supports-peace-initiatives-urges-focus-on-seafarers-food-and-energy-security-1790482807242">India supports peace initiatives, urges focus on seafarers, food and energy security</a>&nbsp;The acceleration is equally visible in annual additions. During 2025-26, India added a record 55.29 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity, including 44.6 GW of solar and 6 GW of wind. Renewable-energy generation, meanwhile, rose from 190.96 billion units in 2014-15 to 477.79 billion units in 2025-26. The challenge now is to ensure that this impressive generation capacity does not run ahead of the transmission network required to carry it.&nbsp;The issue is not uniquely Indian. Globally, renewable power is expanding rapidly while grid infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. The IEA forecasts global renewable electricity generation to cross 17,000 TWh by 2030, almost 90% higher than in 2023. IRENA estimates that renewables could account for 90% of global electricity by 2050. The growing electricity requirements of AI and data centres are adding another layer of urgency. The global grid challenge has become so significant that UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the Global Grids Accelerator, describing grids as the “arteries of the energy transition”. The message is clear: building generation without simultaneously strengthening grids can leave clean power stranded.&nbsp;India is already seeing the early signs of this mismatch. According to ICRA data, of the 54.8 GW of recently commissioned renewable-energy capacity, around 33% was evacuating power through the Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) route as of May 2026. Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal has also identified grid management and transmission expansion as key challenges following the crossing of the 300-GW non-fossil capacity milestone.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/canada-emerges-as-a-growing-energy-supplier-to-china-1790141681141">Canada emerges as a growing energy supplier to China</a><h2>When Grid Meets Ground Reality of RoW</h2>This brings Right of Way into sharp focus. A transmission line is not simply an engineering project involving towers, conductors and substations. It is a physical corridor cutting across farms, villages and private and community land. Every tower location, access route and line corridor can affect landowners and farmers. For communities dependent on agriculture, even when the land itself is not permanently acquired, the presence of transmission infrastructure can trigger concerns about crop damage, future land use, property valuation and the perceived impact on livelihoods. This is where technical planning meets the realities of local governance.&nbsp;Compensation and valuation can become particularly sensitive. A landowner may look at the issue not merely through the statutory compensation offered, but through the future economic value of the land, agricultural income and the inconvenience caused during construction. Where expectations and official assessments diverge, disputes can quickly emerge. Delayed payments, unclear communication or the involvement of multiple agencies can further deepen mistrust.&nbsp;Local opposition can consequently become a serious source of project delay. A transmission project may have received approvals at one level, yet face objections when implementation reaches the village. Administrative processes can also vary across states, creating different approaches to RoW permissions, compensation, land access and grievance handling. For developers operating across multiple states, this lack of uniformity can add complexity to project execution.&nbsp;The challenge is already playing out across several renewable-energy corridors. From Ananthapuramu, Kadapa and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to Davangere, Chitradurga, Gadag and Koppal in Karnataka, and from Dharashiv and Solapur in Maharashtra to Khavda and Bhuj in Gujarat and Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmer and Bikaner in Rajasthan, India’s renewable-energy map is increasingly intersecting with its transmission map. Each new corridor, however, also brings the realities of land access, farmers’ concerns, compensation and local consent into the project’s path. The transmission challenge, therefore, is not confined to substations and power lines; it increasingly begins at the village level.<h2>Road to Resolution: Centre-State Coordination</h2>The answer, therefore, cannot be left entirely to transmission developers or district administrations. RoW needs to be treated as a coordinated Centre-State governance priority. The Ministry of Power, state governments, district administrations, transmission developers and local communities need to work from a common framework. The Centre can help establish broad and transparent principles, while states can ensure that local procedures are predictable and efficiently implemented. District administrations, meanwhile, are best placed to bridge the gap between policy and the ground.&nbsp;There is also a strong case for engaging communities much earlier. Instead of approaching landowners only when construction is imminent, project developers should establish communication channels during the planning stage. Information on routes, compensation principles, construction schedules and grievance mechanisms should be available in simple language. A clearly identified local contact point can prevent routine questions from turning into larger disputes.&nbsp;Most importantly, grievance redressal must be visible, accessible and time-bound. Farmers should know where to raise concerns, whom to approach and when they can expect a response. Transparent documentation of compensation and damage assessment can reduce ambiguity and create greater confidence.&nbsp;India’s clean-energy ambition is now large enough to require a corresponding institutional ambition. The country has demonstrated that renewable capacity can be added at remarkable speed. The next test is whether transmission infrastructure can move at the same pace.The 500-GW non-fossil capacity target is not merely a capacity milestone. It is part of a larger national ambition for energy security and Viksit Bharat 2047. That ambition requires electricity to travel efficiently from resource-rich regions to centres of demand.&nbsp;The transition, therefore, needs more than turbines, solar modules and transmission towers. It needs trust on the ground, predictable governance and a shared Centre-State approach. India has shown it can build clean power fast. Now, it must ensure that the power has a clear, timely and socially workable route to reach every part of the country.

India has crossed 300 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, but its renewable-energy push now faces a new challenge: transmission. The article examines how Right of Way, land access, compensation, local concerns and Centre-State coordination could affect the country’s 500-GW goal.

India’s renewable-energy story has entered a new phase. The country is no longer debating whether it can build clean-energy capacity at scale; the more pressing question is whether the power generated can be evacuated and delivered where it is needed. With India’s non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity generation capacity crossing 300 GW as on July 31, 2026 — more than 60% of the 500 GW target for 2030 — transmission infrastructure, particularly Right of Way (RoW), is emerging as a critical governance and stakeholder-management challenge. The numbers underline the speed of the transition. Solar capacity has reached 164.59 GW, while wind stands at 58.14 GW. Large and small hydro together account for 57.24 GW, bio-power 11.75 GW and nuclear 8.78 GW. India now ranks third globally in renewable energy installed capacity. Solar, the principal growth engine, has risen from just 2.8 GW in 2014 to around 165 GW, while wind has grown from 21 GW to more than 58 GW during the same period. Also Read: India supports peace initiatives, urges focus on seafarers, food and energy security The acceleration is equally visible in annual additions. During 2025-26, India added a record 55.29 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity, including 44.6 GW of solar and 6 GW of wind. Renewable-energy generation, meanwhile, rose from 190.96 billion units in 2014-15 to 477.79 billion units in 2025-26. The challenge now is to ensure that this impressive generation capacity does not run ahead of the transmission network required to carry it. The issue is not uniquely Indian. Globally, renewable power is expanding rapidly while grid infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. The IEA forecasts global renewable electricity generation to cross 17,000 TWh by 2030, almost 90% higher than in 2023. IRENA estimates that renewables could account for 90% of global electricity by 2050. The growing electricity requirements of AI and data centres are adding another layer of urgency. The global grid challenge has become so significant that UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the Global Grids Accelerator, describing grids as the “arteries of the energy transition”. The message is clear: building generation without simultaneously strengthening grids can leave clean power stranded. India is already seeing the early signs of this mismatch. According to ICRA data, of the 54.8 GW of recently commissioned renewable-energy capacity, around 33% was evacuating power through the Temporary General Network Access (T-GNA) route as of May 2026. Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal has also identified grid management and transmission expansion as key challenges following the crossing of the 300-GW non-fossil capacity milestone. Also Read: Canada emerges as a growing energy supplier to China When Grid Meets Ground Reality of RoW This brings Right of Way into sharp focus. A transmission line is not simply an engineering project involving towers, conductors and substations. It is a physical corridor cutting across farms, villages and private and community land. Every tower location, access route and line corridor can affect landowners and farmers. For communities dependent on agriculture, even when the land itself is not permanently acquired, the presence of transmission infrastructure can trigger concerns about crop damage, future land use, property valuation and the perceived impact on livelihoods. This is where technical planning meets the realities of local governance. Compensation and valuation can become particularly sensitive. A landowner may look at the issue not merely through the statutory compensation offered, but through the future economic value of the land, agricultural income and the inconvenience caused during construction. Where expectations and official assessments diverge, disputes can quickly emerge. Delayed payments, unclear communication or the involvement of multiple agencies can further deepen mistrust. Local opposition can consequently become a serious source of project delay. A transmission project may have received approvals at one level, yet face objections when implementation reaches the village. Administrative processes can also vary across states, creating different approaches to RoW permissions, compensation, land access and grievance handling. For developers operating across multiple states, this lack of uniformity can add complexity to project execution. The challenge is already playing out across several renewable-energy corridors. From Ananthapuramu, Kadapa and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to Davangere, Chitradurga, Gadag and Koppal in Karnataka, and from Dharashiv and Solapur in Maharashtra to Khavda and Bhuj in Gujarat and Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmer and Bikaner in Rajasthan, India’s renewable-energy map is increasingly intersecting with its transmission map. Each new corridor, however, also brings the realities of land access, farmers’ concerns, compensation and local consent into the project’s path. The transmission challenge, therefore, is not confined to substations and power lines; it increasingly begins at the village level. Road to Resolution: Centre-State Coordination The answer, therefore, cannot be left entirely to transmission developers or district administrations. RoW needs to be treated as a coordinated Centre-State governance priority. The Ministry of Power, state governments, district administrations, transmission developers and local communities need to work from a common framework. The Centre can help establish broad and transparent principles, while states can ensure that local procedures are predictable and efficiently implemented. District administrations, meanwhile, are best placed to bridge the gap between policy and the ground. There is also a strong case for engaging communities much earlier. Instead of approaching landowners only when construction is imminent, project developers should establish communication channels during the planning stage. Information on routes, compensation principles, construction schedules and grievance mechanisms should be available in simple language. A clearly identified local contact point can prevent routine questions from turning into larger disputes. Most importantly, grievance redressal must be visible, accessible and time-bound. Farmers should know where to raise concerns, whom to approach and when they can expect a response. Transparent documentation of compensation and damage assessment can reduce ambiguity and create greater confidence. India’s clean-energy ambition is now large enough to require a corresponding institutional ambition. The country has demonstrated that renewable capacity can be added at remarkable speed. The next test is whether transmission infrastructure can move at the same pace. The 500-GW non-fossil capacity target is not merely a capacity milestone. It is part of a larger national ambition for energy security and Viksit Bharat 2047. That ambition requires electricity to travel efficiently from resource-rich regions to centres of demand. The transition, therefore, needs more than turbines, solar modules and transmission towers. It needs trust on the ground, predictable governance and a shared Centre-State approach. India has shown it can build clean power fast. Now, it must ensure that the power has a clear, timely and socially workable route to reach every part of the country.

India has crossed 300 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, but its renewable-energy push now faces a new challenge: transmission. The article examines how Right of Way, land access, compensation, local concerns and Centre-State coordination could affect the country’s 500-GW goal.

India’s renewable-energy push hits a RoW roadblock — why Centre & states need to act together

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‘India on track to have 100GW wind power capacity by 2030; 8GW to be added in 2026’

India’s renewable-energy push hits a RoW roadblock