Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, on Saturday reaffirmed that wind energy stands at the core of India’s renewable energy strategy. Addressing stakeholders at the Global Wind Day Conference in Bengaluru, he emphasized that wind energy is not just one component, but the central pillar of the country’s clean energy future and its pursuit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
He said India’s targets—achieving 50% power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2070—place wind at the heart of policy and infrastructure development. Joshi cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of using renewable energy to power manufacturing and conventional energy for household needs, calling it key to enabling India’s rise as a global manufacturing hub.
India is currently the third-largest renewable energy producer in the world and holds the fourth-largest installed wind energy capacity. Joshi highlighted that India is already producing wind turbines ranging from 225 kW to 5.2 MW, with 33 models manufactured by 14 companies. These are serving both domestic and international markets competitively.
He outlined three pressing challenges for the wind sector: integrating wind with solar and storage systems for round-the-clock power and grid stability; reducing tariffs, especially the current rate of ₹3.90/unit which he said needs correction; and making domestic manufacturing more efficient to meet national targets and boost exports.
To unlock the sector’s full potential, Joshi announced five national focus areas—expanding to new states like Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha; launching the offshore wind sector starting with Gujarat and Tamil Nadu; linking wind energy to firm green power through storage models; modernizing grids using AI-based forecasting; and supporting local manufacturing across the wind energy value chain.
The Minister also released two key reports—the Wind Energy Roadmap and the Manufacturing Roadmap—stating these would serve as guiding frameworks for industry and policy leaders. Karnataka was recognized as the top performing state in wind capacity addition, followed by Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Global Wind Day is marked annually on June 15 to highlight the development of wind energy. The Bengaluru conference brought together stakeholders from government bodies, DISCOMs, public sector utilities, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society.
