India's power system achieved a historical milestone on April 25, 2026 when peak electricity demand reached 256.1 GW, surpassing the previous record of 250 GW.

The country managed to meet the record demand without any power shortages and even transmitted electricity to neighboring countries, marking a fundamental shift from supply deficit to surplus.

Just a few years ago, India frequently experienced power outages due to supply shortages. During the peak demand period in April-May 2023, the country's power sector faced its most severe electricity crisis in over six years.

Before the summer of 2024, the Indian government had projected the worst power shortage in 14 years, with an expected nighttime generation capacity gap of up to 14 GW in June - the highest since fiscal year 2009-10, according to government data. However, government efforts to ensure sustained coal supplies to power plants kept coal inventories adequate during peak demand periods, maintaining grid stability.

By summer 2025, despite extreme heat arriving earlier than usual and record peak demand forecasts, the overall power supply gap had fallen to extremely low levels, supported by increased domestic coal supply and significant renewable energy growth.

India's power supply capacity has improved markedly over the past few years. According to government data, since April 2014, India has added 324.7 GW of installed capacity, 218,000 km of transmission lines, and 947,000 MVA of transformation capacity, with inter-regional transmission capacity reaching 120 GW.

In fiscal year 2025-26 (April 2025-March 2026), India's national electricity demand totaled approximately 1,707 TWh, with supply of about 1,707.5 TWh, leaving a negligible gap of 0.03%. As of June 2026, India's total installed capacity stood at 548.86 GW.

Renewables surge

India's energy mix has undergone profound changes in recent years. On the day the record peak demand of 256 GW was set, traditional thermal power contributed about 67% and remained dominant, but solar accounted for over 21% as the second-largest power source, hydropower contributed about 4.4%, supplemented by nuclear and wind power.

India's renewable energy growth has been particularly rapid. According to data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2026, India has surpassed Brazil to become the world's third-largest renewable energy installer, behind only China and the United States.

In July 2025, renewables met 51.5% of national electricity demand, surpassing half for the first time. As of end-March 2026, India's non-fossil fuel installed capacity reached 283.46 GW. New non-fossil fuel capacity additions in FY2025-26 totaled 55.3 GW, a record high.

Solar installed capacity has surged to 150.3 GW, 53 times the level in 2014, while wind capacity reached 56 GW. FY2025-26 alone added 44.61 GW of solar and 6.05 GW of wind capacity. Solar module manufacturing capacity expanded from 2.3 GW in 2014 to about 172 GW, with wind turbine capacity rising to about 24 GW.

Thermal power expansion continues

Alongside renewable development, India's thermal power capacity has grown in tandem as the backbone of grid stability, despite its declining share of generation. Since April 2023, 21 GW of thermal capacity has been commissioned, with another approximately 47.5 GW under construction.

According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India's coal-fired capacity is expected to rise to about 238 GW by the end of FY2026-27, from about 217 GW in FY2021-22. The government targets adding about 80 GW of coal capacity by 2035.

India continues to expand generation, transmission, storage and distribution infrastructure to meet growing demand. The Ministry of Power said India's power supply is adequate, with national installed capacity reaching 548.86 GW as of June 2026.

The ministry emphasized that successfully managing record power demand highlights India's growing energy resilience, improving infrastructure and the increasingly important role of renewables in meeting national electricity needs.