India’s installed power generation capacity is projected to cross 2 TW by 2047, nearly four times current levels, driven by a major expansion in clean energy. Solar power alone is expected to rise from 119 GW to more than 1.1 TW, according to an outlook report by the Energy & Climate Initiatives Society (ENCIS).
The report, titled India’s Power & Energy Transformation Outlook, was released at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, during the inaugural session of Bharat Electricity 2026, a three-day event co-located with POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week 2026. The event brings together more than 15,000 professionals, over 250 exhibitors and 150 global thought leaders from 40 countries.
“India’s energy transition is now about orchestration, not just expansion. Our next phase will be judged not by the number of gigawatts added, but by whether we build a system that is reliable every hour, affordable for every consumer, flexible under stress, and secure against disruption,” said Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, IAS (Retd), chairperson of the Governing Council for Bharat Electricity, POWERGEN India and Indian Utility Week 2026, and former secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.
According to the report, non-fossil sources have already reached 53% of India’s 540 GW installed power capacity, five years ahead of target, while peak electricity demand has nearly tripled since 2000 and is forecast to reach 366 GW by 2032, a 34% jump, driven by new loads from data centres, e-mobility, and green hydrogen.
Ghanshyam Prasad, chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), said, “India is experiencing phenomenal growth in the power sector, with record annual capacity additions and a rapid shift toward clean energy. But it’s not just about adding megawatts; our real challenge now is to build a grid and market architecture that can integrate renewables, storage, and new technologies at scale, ensuring reliability, flexibility, and affordability for a future-ready economy.”
The report further highlights the need to reach 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 while maintaining system reliability. It estimates that grid-scale storage capacity will need to increase about 40-fold to 200 GWh by 2030.
Ashish Sood, minister of home, power, urban development and education, Government of NCT of Delhi, said, “Delhi’s experience shows that better management, technology, and investment can fundamentally transform the performance of an urban power system. Our grid must always stay ahead of the city’s demand.”
The report also notes that nationwide smart-meter deployment is projected to reach 250 million units by FY2028. According to the report, this expansion could enable real-time management of up to 90% of consumer demand and help bring average AT&C losses below 10% nationally. While digital reforms have contributed to a reduction in AT&C losses, the distribution segment remains a critical bottleneck, with the report estimating that 44 GW of renewable-energy projects are held up in contractual or financing-related uncertainty.
Shailesh Kumar, minister of Energy, Government of Bihar, said, “As India’s energy landscape evolves, Bihar is ready to partner with industry and international investors, offering land, infrastructure, and policy support to help shape the next chapter of India’s clean energy growth.”
The report states that coal-based generation will continue to play an important role in maintaining grid stability with plants needed to operate at a minimum technical load of 40% and ramp rates of 3% by 2030. It estimates that India’s power sector will require around $0.5 trillion in investment by 2030, while more than one million additional skilled workers will be needed to support the digitalisation and clean-energy transition.
Major sponsors and participating organisations at the event include Adani, NTPC, Coal India, NLC, Tata Power, ReNew, EDF, Schneider Electric, Toshiba, JSW, Kirloskar Brothers, and others.
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