Latest assessment from TERI estimates 1,209.7 GW of onshore wind potential at 150 metres and 276.6 GW of offshore potential at 200 metres, highlighting new opportunities for wind development, repowering and renewable energy integration.
India could have significantly more wind energy resources than previously estimated, with a new assessment by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) identifying nearly 2,934 GW of onshore wind potential at a hub height of 200 metres.
The study, titled Reassessment of Wind Energy Potential in India: Wind Energy Potential and Pathways for Industry Utilisation, uses Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis to reassess the country’s wind resources at higher turbine hub heights.
It estimates onshore wind potential at 1,209.7 GW at 150 metres and 2,933.9 GW at 200 metres. Offshore wind potential is estimated at 220.3 GW and 276.6 GW at the respective heights, subject to specified wind-speed and wind-power-density criteria.
The reassessment comes as India accelerates renewable energy deployment and explores ways to strengthen its electricity infrastructure to meet rising demand.
Here are six important findings from TERI’s study and what they could mean for India’s wind energy sector.
1. India’s onshore wind potential could reach 2,934 GW at 200 metres
One of the most significant findings is the estimated expansion of India’s onshore wind resource potential when assessed at higher turbine hub heights.
TERI estimates:
- 1,209.7 GW of onshore wind potential at 150 metres.
- 2,933.9 GW of onshore wind potential at 200 metres.
The assessment uses a minimum wind speed of 5 metres per second and wind power density of at least 200 W/m².
At 150 metres, the estimated potential is approximately 3.9% higher than the 1,163.9 GW identified in the National Institute of Wind Energy’s (NIWE) 150-metre Wind Potential Atlas.
The much larger estimate at 200 metres highlights the importance of reassessing wind resources as turbine technology and hub heights evolve.
2. Five states account for nearly 79% of India’s 150-metre wind potential
The study identifies Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka as the leading states for onshore wind development.
Their estimated potential at 150 metres is:
- Rajasthan: 268.9 GW
- Gujarat: 247.6 GW
- Karnataka: 227 GW
Together, these three states account for approximately 61% of India’s estimated onshore wind potential at this height.
When Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are included, the combined share rises to around 79%.
The findings reinforce the importance of these states in India’s wind energy expansion while also highlighting the need to examine emerging locations for future projects.
3. Higher turbine heights could open up new wind development regions
TERI’s assessment suggests that increasing the reference hub height from 150 metres to 200 metres could substantially expand the geographical area suitable for wind development.
The estimated suitable area increases from approximately 0.30 million square kilometres at 150 metres to 0.73 million square kilometres at 200 metres.
Importantly, the study also identifies potential in states that have not traditionally been major destinations for large-scale wind development, including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
This could broaden the geographical scope of India’s wind energy sector, although detailed site-level assessments will be necessary before projects can be developed.
4. India’s offshore wind potential is estimated at up to 276.6 GW
The study also highlights considerable opportunities for offshore wind development along India’s coastline.
At a minimum wind speed of 7 metres per second, TERI estimates:
- 220.3 GW of offshore wind potential at 150 metres.
- 276.6 GW of offshore wind potential at 200 metres.
The assessment also examines stricter wind-speed thresholds.
At 150 metres, offshore potential falls to 91.8 GW at a minimum wind speed of 7.5 m/s and 79.2 GW at 8 m/s.
At 200 metres, the corresponding estimates are 104.2 GW and 81.2 GW.
The findings underline the importance of offshore resource validation, seabed assessments, port infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities and supply-chain development before India can translate this potential into commercially viable projects.
5. Wind energy could play a much bigger role in India’s long-term energy transition
India’s installed wind energy capacity stood at 59.20 GW as of September 30, 2026, following record additions of approximately 6.05 GW during FY2025–26.
However, the scale of future electricity requirements could demand a much larger contribution from wind and other renewable sources.
TERI’s electricity-transition study projects an approximately 11-fold increase in India’s on-grid electricity demand by 2070.
Under one of its Net Zero scenarios, the institute projects wind energy capacity reaching 891 GW by 2070.
Achieving such expansion would require more than identifying suitable wind locations. Transmission infrastructure, grid flexibility, energy storage, renewable energy procurement and domestic manufacturing capacity will also need to grow alongside generation capacity.
The new wind assessment is part of TERI’s broader renewable resource reassessment programme. Its 2025 solar assessment had estimated 10,830 GW of solar potential across different application categories.
Together, the assessments could help policymakers and industry evaluate the future geographical distribution and infrastructure requirements of renewable energy development.
6. TERI outlines six pathways to convert wind potential into actual projects
Beyond estimating resource availability, the study identifies six pathways through which the wind industry could utilise the country’s potential:
- Greenfield onshore wind development.
- Repowering existing wind farms with newer and more efficient turbines.
- Developing projects using higher turbine hub heights.
- Integrating wind, solar and battery storage, including for industrial electricity procurement.
- Developing fixed-bottom offshore wind projects.
- Advancing floating offshore wind technology.
TERI also proposes a phased implementation roadmap.
Short term (0–2 years): Identify priority onshore locations through detailed GIS assessments, conduct long-term wind measurements at selected 200-metre sites, identify repowering opportunities and advance offshore resource surveys.
Medium term (2–5 years): Align potential wind development zones with transmission planning, develop cluster-based repowering projects, evaluate project economics and prepare fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, including port and supply-chain requirements.
Long term (beyond 5 years): Periodically update national wind resource estimates, demonstrate floating offshore wind technologies, strengthen offshore manufacturing and infrastructure, and integrate wind, solar, storage and transmission into long-term energy planning.
Important caveat: 2,934 GW does not mean India can immediately install that much wind capacity
TERI clarifies that its estimates represent indicative, macro-level wind potential identified through GIS-based screening and modelled wind data.
The calculations use assumed capacity densities of 4 MW per square kilometre for onshore wind and 4.5 MW per square kilometre for offshore wind.
The figures should not be interpreted as immediately installable capacity or commercially viable project estimates.
Factors such as land ownership, turbine micro-siting, transportation access, grid evacuation capacity, seabed conditions and competing marine uses have not been fully accounted for.
The study complements NIWE’s existing wind resource assessments rather than replacing detailed project-level evaluations.
The bigger question is implementation:
India’s estimated wind resource base is substantial, but converting it into electricity will depend on whether transmission networks, project economics, land availability, offshore infrastructure and domestic manufacturing can keep pace with the country’s renewable energy ambitions.