India's Renewable Future Depends on Transmission, Not Just Generation
India's transmission ambitions must be supported by a robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem. High-voltage equipment, including transformers, condenser bushings, instrument transformers, switchgear and associated grid infrastructure, forms the foundation upon which reliable power evacuation depends.
September 03, 2026. By News Bureau
For years, India's renewable energy transition was measured by a single benchmark: how quickly could we add generation capacity? That question has been largely answered. Renewable installations have accelerated at an unprecedented pace, with nearly 29 GW of new solar and wind capacity added during the first half of 2026, taking India's cumulative renewable capacity to around 288 GW. Solar capacity alone grew by more than 43 percent over the corresponding period last year. These achievements reflect the country's policy commitment, investor confidence and engineering capability.
The next challenge, however, is fundamentally different. As someone who has spent decades working in India's extra-high-voltage transmission ecosystem, we believe the conversation must now shift from how much renewable energy we generate to how effectively we transmit it. Clean energy can only create value when it reaches consumers reliably and efficiently. Generation and transmission must therefore evolve together; if one advances significantly faster than the other, the entire energy transition begins to lose momentum.
The challenge is no longer limited to expanding the physical transmission network. As renewable energy penetration increases, the grid must also operate with significantly higher levels of stability, reliability and flexibility. Variable renewable generation introduces rapid fluctuations in power flows, making high-voltage equipment, advanced insulation systems and modern substation technologies increasingly critical to maintaining uninterrupted electricity supply. Transmission infrastructure is therefore evolving from a passive carrier of electricity into an active enabler of grid resilience.
This challenge more visible than in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Supported by abundant solar irradiation, favourable wind conditions, vast land availability and proactive state policies, both states have emerged as the backbone of India's renewable energy expansion. Together with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, they accounted for nearly 84 percent of all solar and wind capacity additions during 2025. Gujarat and Rajasthan alone each host more than 40 GW of installed renewable capacity, with mega developments such as Khavda further strengthening their position as renewable powerhouses.
Similar transmission bottlenecks are beginning to emerge across multiple renewable-rich regions as project commissioning continues to outpace evacuation readiness. While developers have successfully reduced construction timelines for solar and wind assets, transmission projects remain constrained by longer approval cycles, land acquisition complexities and increasingly demanding technical specifications. Unless both ecosystems progress in parallel, India's renewable capacity additions will increasingly face diminishing returns.
Yet the success of renewable generation has also exposed an important structural imbalance. Transmission infrastructure follows a much longer development cycle than generation projects. While large solar parks can now be commissioned in less than two years, planning, approvals, right-of-way acquisition and construction of 765 kV transmission corridors often require considerably more time. As renewable investments accelerate, the evacuation network struggles to keep pace, creating congestion precisely where renewable generation is growing the fastest.
The consequences are becoming increasingly visible across the grid. Industry estimates indicate that renewable energy curtailment across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka has averaged between 15 and 20 percent over the past year, with some projects witnessing temporary curtailment of their entire output during peak generation periods. Analysis by Ember estimates that nearly 300 GWh of renewable electricity was curtailed during the first quarter of 2026 owing to transmission constraints, including approximately 34 GWh on a single day in March. More recently, ICRA observed that almost one-third of nearly 55 GW of newly commissioned renewable capacity continues to depend on temporary General Network Access, while several projects experience curtailment levels of 50 to 60 percent during solar hours because adequate evacuation infrastructure is yet to become available.
Rajasthan offers perhaps the clearest illustration of this mismatch. Two new 765 kV transmission corridors commissioned during late 2025 and early 2026 were designed to evacuate around 8,000 MW of renewable power. However, operational constraints limited the usable evacuation capacity to nearly 2,000 MW. Against approximately 23 GW of commissioned renewable capacity and less than 19 GW of effective transmission margin, nearly 4 GW of clean electricity is left with limited pathways to reach the national grid.
These numbers represent far more than operational statistics. Every megawatt-hour of renewable energy that is curtailed reflects generation capacity from infrastructure that has already been financed, constructed and commissioned but remains underutilised. Developers continue servicing investments while generation is restricted, reducing project economics and slowing investor confidence. Increasingly, transmission capacity, not land availability, financing or project execution is emerging as the principal constraint on India's renewable growth story.
Encouragingly, policymakers have recognised this shift. The Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 rightly places renewed emphasis on modernising India's transmission infrastructure through advanced grid technologies, improved right-of-way mechanisms, indigenous SCADA systems and enhanced network resilience. Complementing this vision, the National Electricity Plan for Transmission proposes the addition of nearly 1,91,000 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, 1,270 GVA of transformation capacity and nine new HVDC links capable of transferring more than 33 GW by 2032. Inter-regional transfer capability is expected to increase from 119 GW to 168 GW, supported by investments estimated at INR 5-6 lakh crore over the next five years.
These are ambitious and necessary initiatives. However, execution will ultimately determine their success. Historically, India has approximately achieved only around 80 percent of planned transmission targets, with several projects delayed by land acquisition challenges, environmental clearances and right-of-way issues. Unless project implementation accelerates alongside renewable deployment, the gap between generation and evacuation will continue to widen.
Bridging this gap requires more than simply constructing additional transmission lines. The grid itself must become more intelligent, resilient and adaptive. Long-distance renewable power transfer will increasingly depend on HVDC corridors capable of moving bulk power efficiently across regions. Digital substations, advanced monitoring systems and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) will play a growing role in maintaining voltage stability, managing reactive power and identifying congestion before it disrupts operations. Battery energy storage systems positioned strategically at renewable pooling stations can also provide valuable operational flexibility by absorbing surplus generation during periods of congestion until transmission capacity expands.
Equally important is ensuring that every component within these transmission networks is engineered to operate reliably under higher voltages, greater power flows and increasingly demanding environmental conditions. As India's grid expands into ultra-high-voltage applications, equipment reliability, insulation performance and lifecycle durability become critical factors in reducing outages, minimising maintenance requirements and ensuring long-term grid stability. Investments in transmission quality are therefore just as important as investments in transmission quantity.
At the same time, India's transmission ambitions must be supported by a robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem. High-voltage equipment, including transformers, condenser bushings, instrument transformers, switchgear and associated grid infrastructure, forms the foundation upon which reliable power evacuation depends. As projects become larger and technically more demanding, reducing dependence on imported technologies, strengthening domestic testing and certification capabilities, and expanding manufacturing capacity become matters not only of industrial competitiveness but also of national energy security.
The renewable transition has now entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether India can generate sufficient clean electricity. It is whether the country's transmission infrastructure can evolve with the same speed, reliability and technological sophistication. The next decade of India's energy journey will be shaped not only by the solar parks of Rajasthan or the renewable hubs of Gujarat, but equally by the substations, transmission corridors and high-voltage equipment that connect them to consumers across the country.
India has demonstrated that it can build renewable capacity at remarkable scale. The next measure of success will be our ability to build an equally strong transmission network. If generation and grid development progress together, India will not simply meet its clean energy ambitions; it will build one of the world's most resilient and future-ready power systems.
India's ambition of becoming a global manufacturing hub for power equipment further reinforces this opportunity. As utilities across Asia, the Middle East and Africa expand their own transmission infrastructure to accommodate renewable energy, Indian manufacturers with proven engineering capabilities can increasingly serve international markets. Building globally competitive high-voltage manufacturing capabilities therefore strengthens not only India's domestic energy transition but also its position within the global power infrastructure value chain.
- Keyur Shah, Chairman and Managing Director, Yash® Highvoltage
The next challenge, however, is fundamentally different. As someone who has spent decades working in India's extra-high-voltage transmission ecosystem, we believe the conversation must now shift from how much renewable energy we generate to how effectively we transmit it. Clean energy can only create value when it reaches consumers reliably and efficiently. Generation and transmission must therefore evolve together; if one advances significantly faster than the other, the entire energy transition begins to lose momentum.
The challenge is no longer limited to expanding the physical transmission network. As renewable energy penetration increases, the grid must also operate with significantly higher levels of stability, reliability and flexibility. Variable renewable generation introduces rapid fluctuations in power flows, making high-voltage equipment, advanced insulation systems and modern substation technologies increasingly critical to maintaining uninterrupted electricity supply. Transmission infrastructure is therefore evolving from a passive carrier of electricity into an active enabler of grid resilience.
This challenge more visible than in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Supported by abundant solar irradiation, favourable wind conditions, vast land availability and proactive state policies, both states have emerged as the backbone of India's renewable energy expansion. Together with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, they accounted for nearly 84 percent of all solar and wind capacity additions during 2025. Gujarat and Rajasthan alone each host more than 40 GW of installed renewable capacity, with mega developments such as Khavda further strengthening their position as renewable powerhouses.
Similar transmission bottlenecks are beginning to emerge across multiple renewable-rich regions as project commissioning continues to outpace evacuation readiness. While developers have successfully reduced construction timelines for solar and wind assets, transmission projects remain constrained by longer approval cycles, land acquisition complexities and increasingly demanding technical specifications. Unless both ecosystems progress in parallel, India's renewable capacity additions will increasingly face diminishing returns.
Yet the success of renewable generation has also exposed an important structural imbalance. Transmission infrastructure follows a much longer development cycle than generation projects. While large solar parks can now be commissioned in less than two years, planning, approvals, right-of-way acquisition and construction of 765 kV transmission corridors often require considerably more time. As renewable investments accelerate, the evacuation network struggles to keep pace, creating congestion precisely where renewable generation is growing the fastest.
The consequences are becoming increasingly visible across the grid. Industry estimates indicate that renewable energy curtailment across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka has averaged between 15 and 20 percent over the past year, with some projects witnessing temporary curtailment of their entire output during peak generation periods. Analysis by Ember estimates that nearly 300 GWh of renewable electricity was curtailed during the first quarter of 2026 owing to transmission constraints, including approximately 34 GWh on a single day in March. More recently, ICRA observed that almost one-third of nearly 55 GW of newly commissioned renewable capacity continues to depend on temporary General Network Access, while several projects experience curtailment levels of 50 to 60 percent during solar hours because adequate evacuation infrastructure is yet to become available.
Rajasthan offers perhaps the clearest illustration of this mismatch. Two new 765 kV transmission corridors commissioned during late 2025 and early 2026 were designed to evacuate around 8,000 MW of renewable power. However, operational constraints limited the usable evacuation capacity to nearly 2,000 MW. Against approximately 23 GW of commissioned renewable capacity and less than 19 GW of effective transmission margin, nearly 4 GW of clean electricity is left with limited pathways to reach the national grid.
These numbers represent far more than operational statistics. Every megawatt-hour of renewable energy that is curtailed reflects generation capacity from infrastructure that has already been financed, constructed and commissioned but remains underutilised. Developers continue servicing investments while generation is restricted, reducing project economics and slowing investor confidence. Increasingly, transmission capacity, not land availability, financing or project execution is emerging as the principal constraint on India's renewable growth story.
Encouragingly, policymakers have recognised this shift. The Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 rightly places renewed emphasis on modernising India's transmission infrastructure through advanced grid technologies, improved right-of-way mechanisms, indigenous SCADA systems and enhanced network resilience. Complementing this vision, the National Electricity Plan for Transmission proposes the addition of nearly 1,91,000 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, 1,270 GVA of transformation capacity and nine new HVDC links capable of transferring more than 33 GW by 2032. Inter-regional transfer capability is expected to increase from 119 GW to 168 GW, supported by investments estimated at INR 5-6 lakh crore over the next five years.
These are ambitious and necessary initiatives. However, execution will ultimately determine their success. Historically, India has approximately achieved only around 80 percent of planned transmission targets, with several projects delayed by land acquisition challenges, environmental clearances and right-of-way issues. Unless project implementation accelerates alongside renewable deployment, the gap between generation and evacuation will continue to widen.
Bridging this gap requires more than simply constructing additional transmission lines. The grid itself must become more intelligent, resilient and adaptive. Long-distance renewable power transfer will increasingly depend on HVDC corridors capable of moving bulk power efficiently across regions. Digital substations, advanced monitoring systems and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) will play a growing role in maintaining voltage stability, managing reactive power and identifying congestion before it disrupts operations. Battery energy storage systems positioned strategically at renewable pooling stations can also provide valuable operational flexibility by absorbing surplus generation during periods of congestion until transmission capacity expands.
Equally important is ensuring that every component within these transmission networks is engineered to operate reliably under higher voltages, greater power flows and increasingly demanding environmental conditions. As India's grid expands into ultra-high-voltage applications, equipment reliability, insulation performance and lifecycle durability become critical factors in reducing outages, minimising maintenance requirements and ensuring long-term grid stability. Investments in transmission quality are therefore just as important as investments in transmission quantity.
At the same time, India's transmission ambitions must be supported by a robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem. High-voltage equipment, including transformers, condenser bushings, instrument transformers, switchgear and associated grid infrastructure, forms the foundation upon which reliable power evacuation depends. As projects become larger and technically more demanding, reducing dependence on imported technologies, strengthening domestic testing and certification capabilities, and expanding manufacturing capacity become matters not only of industrial competitiveness but also of national energy security.
The renewable transition has now entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether India can generate sufficient clean electricity. It is whether the country's transmission infrastructure can evolve with the same speed, reliability and technological sophistication. The next decade of India's energy journey will be shaped not only by the solar parks of Rajasthan or the renewable hubs of Gujarat, but equally by the substations, transmission corridors and high-voltage equipment that connect them to consumers across the country.
India has demonstrated that it can build renewable capacity at remarkable scale. The next measure of success will be our ability to build an equally strong transmission network. If generation and grid development progress together, India will not simply meet its clean energy ambitions; it will build one of the world's most resilient and future-ready power systems.
India's ambition of becoming a global manufacturing hub for power equipment further reinforces this opportunity. As utilities across Asia, the Middle East and Africa expand their own transmission infrastructure to accommodate renewable energy, Indian manufacturers with proven engineering capabilities can increasingly serve international markets. Building globally competitive high-voltage manufacturing capabilities therefore strengthens not only India's domestic energy transition but also its position within the global power infrastructure value chain.
- Keyur Shah, Chairman and Managing Director, Yash® Highvoltage
Please share!
If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content,
please contact: contact@energetica-india.net.
please contact: contact@energetica-india.net.
Next events
Last interviews
Ranjan Dhar
Director & Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Advanced Coated Steel Can Improve Solar Asset Life, Reduce Maintenance, Says Ranjan Dhar
Alexander Enulescu
Founder & CEO
India’s CNG, CBG and Hydrogen Push Makes it Strategic Market for KonveGas: Alexander Enulescu
Madhur Taneja
CEO
GreenLine Mobility CEO Madhur Taneja Explains the Shift Towards Integrated Green Freight
Dr. Bondada Raghavendra Rao
Chairman and Managing Director
Bondada Group Targets Major BESS Expansion Amid Rising Demand for LDES: Dr. Raghavendra Rao
Monika Shekhar
AGM - Marketing
Hoymiles India’s Monika Shekhar on Strengthening Localisation and Supply-Chain Resilience
Follow us