India Requires 10GW of Annual Wind Capacity Expansion to Meet Net Zero Target by 2030.

India Targets 10 GW of Wind Capacity per Year to Reach Net-Zero Goal

Union New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Wednesday that India must add nearly 10 GW of wind capacity annually over the next decade to reach the nation's larger goal of a net-zero economy by 2070.

Addressing the foundation day celebration of the Wind Independent Power Producers Association in the capital, the minister highlighted India's vast and largely untapped wind energy potential. According to Joshi, India is currently ranked 4th globally, with over 56.1 GW of installed wind energy capacity and another 28 GW under implementation.

In the financial year 2025-26, India witnessed a record wind energy capacity addition of 6.1 GW. The government is confident of achieving 100 GW capacity by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036. To reach the net-zero goal, India must add nearly 10 GW of wind capacity every year for the next decade.

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The government has taken multiple steps to strengthen the investment environment, including the enforcement of the Late Payment Surcharge provision and transparent competitive bidding guidelines. These measures have significantly improved investor confidence. The minister assured that the government is fully committed to removing barriers in the path of wind energy developers and is working closely with the Minister of Defence to sort out issues related to projects coming up in border areas.

India is also advancing Green Energy Open Access rules to help industries procure wind power directly from developers, reducing dependence on State Discoms. For onshore wind, the government is prioritising the repowering of old turbines installed on high-potential sites. A national policy framework has been put in place to enable their replacement.

Regarding the offshore wind energy tender of 1 GW capacity proposed in Tamil Nadu, the minister stated that there are some issues and the government is working to address them. However, no further details were provided.

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The minister also discussed the rules related to the mandatory use of domestically produced solar cells, which are proposed to be implemented from June this year. This move is expected to boost local production and aid in lowering the input cost. However, some project developers have requested more time and have asked not to implement the rules from June.