Global Wind Day 2026: India's wind power capacity crosses 50 GW mark

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) celebrated Global Wind Day 2026 on June 15 with a statement that India's installed wind power capacity has crossed the 50,000 megawatt (MW) mark. The announcement came through the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and highlighted the country's growing reliance on wind energy.

India now stands as the fourth-largest wind power market in the world, after China, the United States, and Germany. The government said the 50 GW milestone was reached with the addition of roughly 2,300 MW of new wind capacity in the last financial year. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu lead the states, together accounting for nearly half of the total installed capacity. Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Maharashtra follow close behind.

On Global Wind Day, the MNRE also pointed to new offshore wind projects. The government has identified zones off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu for development. A tender for a 1 GW offshore wind project off the Gujarat coast is expected to open later this year. Officials said this would be India's first large-scale offshore wind farm.

The day's events included a workshop in New Delhi where industry heads and policymakers talked about ways to cut wind power costs further. Speakers stressed the need to upgrade the country's aging wind turbines, many of which are over 15 years old, with more efficient models. The government has a repowering policy that allows older turbines to be replaced with newer, larger ones on the same land.

Wind energy now makes up about 10% of India's total installed electricity capacity. The country aims to reach 140 GW of wind power by 2030, as part of its larger target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity. To hit that goal, the MNRE said it would need to add roughly 15 GW of new wind capacity every year for the next four years.

Challenges remain. Land acquisition for new wind farms has slowed in some states. Grid connectivity in windy but remote areas, like the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, is still patchy. And the wind power tariff has fallen to around ₹2.80 per unit, which some developers say is too low to make new projects profitable without government support.

Still, the ministry said it is working with state governments to speed up clearances and improve transmission lines. It also announced a new online portal for wind project applications, meant to cut red tape.

Global Wind Day was first observed in 2007 by the European Wind Energy Association and the Global Wind Energy Council. India has taken part every year since 2010, using the day to release data and push for more wind installations.