India Hits 5 Lakh Ckm Milestone in Power Grid Expansion

The Government of India expanded its national power transmission network to surpass 5 lakh circuit kilometres and reach 1,407 GVA of transformation capacity as of January 14, 2026. The Ministry of Power reported that this milestone followed the commissioning of a 628 ckm, 765 kV transmission line connecting the Bhadla II and Sikar II substations, which enables the evacuation of 1,100 MW of solar power from the Rajasthan renewable energy zone.

This infrastructure growth supports a broader surge in energy production. A Reserve Bank of India report noted that installed power capacity increased by nearly 36 percent over the last five years, driven by a record 48.6 gigawatts in annual renewable additions in 2025. Data from the Central Electricity Authority shows renewable growth rose steadily from 5.6 GW in 2020, while fossil fuel additions remained low at 1 GW to 4 GW annually.

To further diversify its energy mix, the government introduced the Nuclear Energy Mission and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, targeting 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi recently promoted these clean energy opportunities, including green hydrogen and energy storage, to global investors at the World Economic Forum in Davos to support a goal of 500 GW of non-fossil power generation by 2030.