India's onshore wind potential much higher than estimated, hits 2,933 GW at 200 m: Report

New Delhi: India's onshore wind energy potential is significantly higher than previously estimated, placing the country's theoretical onshore wind potential at 1,209.7 GW at a hub height of 150 metres and 2,933.9 GW at 200 metres, a statement from a think-tank said on Monday.

The statement from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said offshore potential is estimated at approximately 220 GW and 277 GW, respectively, at a minimum wind speed of 7.0 m/s.

The study identified priority areas for further resource validation and outlined pathways to strengthen wind development, supporting infrastructure and industry capabilities.

India’s installed wind capacity stood at 59.20 GW on September 30, 2026, following record additions of about 6.05 GW in FY26.

“As India’s electricity demand grows and renewable energy deployment expands, a better understanding of wind resources can help inform generation planning, renewable energy procurement, and transmission investment,” the report noted.

Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka account for about 61 per cent of the estimated potential at 150 m, while the inclusion of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu raises the combined share to nearly 79 per cent.

The electricity-transition study projected roughly a 11-fold increase in India’s on-grid electricity demand by 2070.

Its net zero scenario includes 891 GW of wind capacity by 2070, illustrating the scale of possible expansion under one set of technology-cost and system assumptions.

As India plans for its net-zero objective, more spatially resolved wind assessments can help test where renewable capacity can realistically be developed and which investments in transmission, flexibility and manufacturing are needed.

The report identified six pathways for industry utilisation, including, greenfield onshore development, repowering of existing wind farms, higher-hub-height wind development, wind-solar-storage integration and industrial procurement, fixed-bottom offshore wind, and floating offshore wind.

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