How India is energising a new growth story

THE ANCIENT PRAYER “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya” — lead us from darkness to light — captures not just a spiritual aspiration but the story of modern India.

- ‘MANOHAR LAL

Over the last decade, we have translated this ethos into reality, transforming an electricity ecosystem once defined by chronic shortages into one of the world’s fastest growing-most diversified and reform-driven power markets.

As India positions itself as a global manufacturing hub, a burgeoning digital economy and a responsible clean energy leader, the power sector has become the bedrock of our national competitiveness.

In the last decade, we have added significant generation and transmission capacity, bringing national energy shortages down from 4.2% in financial year 2013-14 to 0.03% by financial year 2025-26.

In financial year 2025-26 alone (up to January 2026), a record 52.53 GW capacity from all sources has been added, the highest ever in a single year, surpassing the previous best of 34.05 GW in 2024-25.

Total electricity generation has increased from 1,020.2 BU in financial year 2014 to 1,830 BU in financial year 2025. Per capita consumption has risen from 957 kWh in 2014 to 1,460 kWh in 2025, reflecting economic growth and improved access. This has ensured that every home, farm and industry has the reliable power it needs, and India is now the third-largest producer and consumer of electricity in the world.

While we can generate over 520 GW of electricity, the real test of a system is its ability to manage peak load without operational stress. In the summer of 2024, peak demand reached a record 250 GW and was 242.49 GW in financial year 2025-26.