Centre plans 4 GW offshore wind energy tenders

Time of India

9 hours ago

New Delhi: India is targeting a major push in its wind energy programme, helped by a 53 per cent increase in this year's
renewable energy budget
to ₹26,549 crore. The country is planning to launch offshore wind energy bids totalling 4 Gigawatt in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said.
Speaking at a stakeholder conference in Bengaluru on the occasion of Global Wind Day 2025, the minister said wind energy is central to India's net-zero and energy security goals. 'Our national goals are ambitious and clear: 50 per cent of our power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, and a net-zero India by 2070. Wind energy is central to achieving these goals,' Joshi said.
He said India's wind power installed capacity is the fourth largest in the world, and the country ranks third in renewable energy generation globally. Joshi noted that the government is backing the sector with a 53 per cent rise in this year's renewable energy allocation, with a large share directed to wind energy.
The conference was attended by Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik and Karnataka Energy Minister K.G. George.
Joshi said that to fully unlock India's wind energy potential, the Centre is focusing on five areas—expanding into new states such as Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha; launching offshore projects with 4 GW leasing areas in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu; integrating wind with solar and storage for round-the-clock power; investing in AI-based forecasting and grid upgrades; and supporting domestic manufacturing across the wind value chain.
India currently manufactures wind turbines ranging from 225 kW to 5.2 MW, with 33 models made by 14 companies, the minister said. 'These turbines meet our domestic needs and are also cost-competitive globally,' he added.
On tariffs and costs, Joshi said, 'A rate of ₹3.90 per unit is too high; we must work together to reduce costs.' He called for competitive tariffs and improved efficiency in domestic manufacturing.
The minister also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to use renewable energy for manufacturing and conventional energy for household consumption. 'India's manufacturing capacity is increasing and will continue to increase. Once India becomes a global manufacturing hub, it should be able to fulfil the energy demands of the manufacturing sector through renewable sources,' he said.
Joshi emphasised the importance of states leading the transition and urged for coordinated execution. 'Land availability and transmission delays have to be overcome. This is not the time for hesitation, it is the time for execution,' he said.
The Centre also released two key documents at the event—the Wind Energy Roadmap and the Manufacturing Roadmap—which Joshi said would serve as guiding frameworks to build a robust and self-reliant wind energy ecosystem.
States were felicitated for their performance in wind capacity addition. Karnataka topped the list with an addition of 1,331.48 MW, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,136.37 MW and Gujarat with 954.76 MW.