The Silent Backbone of Clean Energy: How Hydropower Supports India’s Renewable Ambitions

Hydro energy will play an important role in India’s long-term energy planning. The country has an ambition to develop close to 100 GW of pumped energy storage capacity by 2035.

June 05, 2026. By News Bureau

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Kavita Shirvaikar

Patel Engineering Ltd.

Hydro Energy

Energy storage capacity

Clean energy transition

pumped storage projects

hydropower projects

Renewable technologies

The clean energy transition of India is often attributed to the rapid rise of solar parks and wind corridors. Given their scale and declining costs, these technologies have dominated the headlines for some time now. However, behind this transition, there is an often silent and stabilising factor: hydropower. India is rapidly accelerating towards its ambition to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, and within this broader context, hydropower is emerging as the silent backbone of the entire renewable energy ecosystem.

Solar and wind energy, though sustainable, are often challenged due to their variability. Solar generation drops to zero after sunset, and wind patterns remain unpredictable. A grid that is powered primarily through such variable energy sources requires a balancing mechanism that can respond instantly to the fluctuation in demand and supply.

Hydropower in this case uniquely fulfils the role. The biggest advantage of hydropower is that it can be ramped up or down on demand. This factor makes it indispensable and helps in maintaining the grid stability in an increasingly renewable-heavy energy mix.

This is much more evident in the growing emphasis on Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs). PSPs, in essence, are large-scale energy storage solutions and are also often referred to as “green batteries”. During the day, when there is excess solar energy generation, electricity is used to pump the water to a higher elevation. In the evening, when demand has peaked, this stored water is released to generate electricity. PSPs also help bridge the gap between when renewable energy is generated and when it is needed.

Hydro energy will play an important role in India’s long-term energy planning. The country has an ambition to develop close to 100 GW of pumped energy storage capacity by 2035. The nation’s current energy storage capacity stands at 6.4 GW and has the potential to store 200 GW of energy. To reach 100 GW by 2035 is not a marginal addition; it represents a structural shift and demands infrastructure planning that fulfils this energy transition. By investing in the PSPs, we are positioning ourselves to address one of the most critical bottlenecks in renewable energy adoption: storage. More importantly, with this approach, India would be able to scale its energy storage without being overly dependent on imported battery technologies and the volatile supply chains.

Parallelly, hydropower’s relevance is extending beyond large, centralised infrastructure. However, the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme for 2026-31 shows a parallel strategy focused on decentralisation of infrastructure. This scheme is targeted primarily for the hilly and remote regions, particularly for the North-Eastern region. In these challenging terrains, small hydro projects will offer a low-impact, locally viable solution.

Also, these installations will not only improve energy access in underserved areas but will also require minimal ecological disruption compared to the larger projects. As such, these energy developments align well with regional equity and sustainability as well.

Hydropower projects also stand apart from other renewable technologies due to their multi-purpose utility. Apart from electricity, they also contribute to flood control, irrigation management, water supply, and even recreational development. The integrated value proposition makes hydropower infrastructure inherently more versatile and economically more significant.

Beyond electricity generation, they contribute to flood control, irrigation management, water supply, and even recreational development. This integrated value proposition makes hydropower infrastructure inherently more versatile and economically significant. In regions prone to flooding or water stress, such projects serve as critical tools for climate adaptation as much as mitigation.

Hydropower also equally contributes to driving economic development. Large-scale projects, especially in the Himalayan and North-Eastern region, often attract broader infrastructure growth. They are also known to generate direct and indirect employment, improve transport infrastructure for better connectivity, and stimulate local economies. In many cases, these projects have also proven to create economic corridors in areas that have had stunted growth for years.

In recent years, hydropower in India has become a strategic development. Looking at the developments in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, energy infrastructure is now closely tied with national security considerations. Consequently, the acceleration of hydropower projects in these regions reflects not only an energy imperative but also a geopolitical one.

For instance, transboundary rivers are facing evolving dynamics, which have resulted in a push to expedite projects in Jammu & Kashmir, which signals India’s intent to fully utilise its entitled water resources. In Arunachal Pradesh, too, large-scale initiatives such as the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project are expected to lead to upstream developments in the neighbouring countries. These projects are not merely about electricity generation anymore; they represent strategic assertions of control over critical water resources.

Further reinforcing this shift are some of the recent high-value approvals. The government has cleared major hydropower investments in Arunachal Pradesh, amounting to tens of thousands of crores. This only signals a clear prioritisation of the sector. Hydropower was once perceived as a slow-moving and capital-intensive sector, which is now being fast-tracked as the national priority and is driven by dual imperatives of energy security and geopolitical stability.

As India moves toward its net-zero aspirations, the narrative must evolve beyond the visible expansion of solar and wind. The success of the clean energy transition will depend just as much on the systems that support and stabilise these sources. Hydropower, in this context, is not a legacy technology—it is a future enabler.

Often operating in the background, it ensures that the grid remains balanced, that renewable energy is not wasted, and that demand is met reliably. It is, in every sense, the silent guardian of India’s clean energy ambitions.

- Kavita Shirvaikar, Managing Director, Patel Engineering Ltd.