By Saurav Anand
India’s power sector is set to enter a fresh investment cycle, with cumulative investments of about Rs 4.5 trillion by 2032, driven by large-scale expansion in electricity generation, transmission, distribution and energy storage, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday.
Speaking at the curtain raiser for the Bharat Electricity Summit (BES) 2026, Khattar said the country has moved decisively from a power-deficit phase to a surplus regime, allowing policymakers to plan for long-term growth, reliability and clean energy integration.
“India is no longer addressing shortages. We are managing surplus power, strengthening grid resilience and preparing for rapidly rising demand. This transition will require sustained investments across generation, transmission, distribution and energy storage,” the minister said.
According to estimates shared at the event, the bulk of the investment opportunity lies in power generation, which alone is expected to attract about $346 billion by 2032. This includes investments in renewable energy, conventional capacity upgrades and emerging technologies such as nuclear power.
An additional $68.2 billion is expected to flow into transmission and distribution infrastructure, reflecting the need to evacuate renewable power from resource-rich regions and strengthen grid reliability. The energy storage segment, including battery energy storage systems and pumped storage projects, represents a standalone investment opportunity of about $35.2 billion, officials said.
Together, these segments add up to an investment potential of around Rs 4.5 trillion, over the next seven years.
Decadal Shift
Khattar highlighted that India’s installed power generation capacity has more than doubled over the past decade—from 249 GW in March 2014 to over 510 GW by November 2025. He said the system successfully met a record all-India peak demand of 250 GW in 2024, underscoring the growing robustness of the national grid.
Clean energy remains central to this expansion. India has already achieved 52% non-fossil fuel capacity in its installed power mix, well ahead of its international climate commitments. Renewable energy capacity has grown more than threefold over the past decade, led by solar and wind additions.
Infrastructure Milestones
Addressing reporters on the sidelines, Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal said India continues to be one of the fastest-growing electricity markets globally. “India is a high-growth market. We estimate an investment potential of about half a trillion dollars over the next seven years across electricity generation, transmission, energy storage and distribution,” he said.
Agarwal added that the country’s power transmission network is nearing a major milestone. “The transmission network will soon touch the five lakh circuit kilometre mark, as we have already achieved 4.97 lakh ckm,” he said.
Khattar said the government is focusing on newer technologies such as energy storage, digital grids and flexible generation, and announced that the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2026, will be brought to further strengthen the regulatory framework.
The minister also formally announced that the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 will be held from March 19 to 22, 2026, at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
The four-day summit, themed “Electrifying Growth. Empowering Sustainability. Connecting Globally”, is expected to host over 500 exhibitors, 25,000 attendees, 1,000 delegates and 300 speakers from India and abroad, positioning it as a key platform for investors, utilities and technology providers eyeing India’s next phase of power-sector growth.