India-UK Offshore Wind Task Force Launched as India’s Non-Fossil Power Capacity Crosses 272 GW

India has crossed 272 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi revealed this during the launch of the India-UK offshore wind task force.

The country’s non-fossil capacity includes over 141 GW of solar and 55 GW of wind energy, marking a major milestone as India works towards its target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070.

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron attended the launch ceremony. Joshi said that India added more than 35 GW of solar and 4.61 GW of wind capacity during the current financial year. He also noted that in the previous year, the country achieved 50 per cent of its cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of its Nationally Determined Contribution target.

Highlighting the scale of India’s renewable push, he said nearly three million households have benefited from rooftop solar installations under government schemes, while 2.1 million agricultural pumps have been solarised under the PM-KUSUM programme.

“These figures reflect a clear policy direction, strong institutional coordination and growing investor confidence,” the Minister said, adding that the next phase of India’s energy transition would focus on improving grid stability, reliability, industrial capacity and energy security.

Joshi said that offshore wind would play a strategic role in this phase, with promising zones identified off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Transmission planning has been completed for an initial 10 GW offshore evacuation capacity, with 5 GW each planned for Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. To support early projects, the government has introduced a Viability Gap Funding scheme with a total outlay of INR 7,453 crore (about GBP 710 million).

“Offshore wind is among the most complex segments of the global energy transition. It requires specialised port infrastructure, marine logistics, robust seabed leasing frameworks, clear risk allocation and bankable commercial structures,” Joshi said.