Centre-States partnership to expedite wind energy expansion, says MNRE secretary

CHENNAI: India is set to accelerate its wind energy capacity through deeper coordination between the Centre and state governments, focusing on resolving key challenges such as land acquisition and transmission infrastructure, said Santhosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), on Thursday.

Addressing the media at Windergy 2025 held at Chennai Trade Centre, Sarangi said, “The Centre is working closely with state governments to streamline land acquisition and grid connectivity, ensuring faster implementation of wind projects." He added that India's ability to scale up renewable energy rapidly stems from industrial innovation and robust Centre–State collaboration.

Highlighting India's remarkable progress in renewables, Santhosh Kumar Sarangi noted that solar power capacity has soared from 2.6 GW in 2014 to over 128 GW at present, contributing to the country's total renewable capacity of 260 GW. "With solar tariffs as low as Rs 2.40 per unit and wind tariffs around Rs 4 to Rs 4.50, India is now among the world's lowest-cost producers of renewable power,” he said.

The country's renewable energy journey has been propelled by initiatives such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India and the PM Suryaghar Yojana, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million households. On the wind front, the Centre has set an ambitious target of 70 GW of offshore capacity by 2030, backed by a Rs 7,000-crore Viability Gap Funding scheme.

Sarangi said massive transmission upgrades are under way to support this expansion. “A new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been released focusing on Atmanirbhar Bharat, aiming to achieve 85% local content in the coming years,” he added.

"With these measures, India is poised to emerge as a global export hub for wind turbines, driving the world's clean energy transition," he said.