Girish Tanti, co-founder and vice-chairman of the Suzlon group, predicts that due to growing demand, India's wind power capacity could reach 250 gigawatts (GW) by 2035. This forecast significantly exceeds the current government target of 155 GW.
Tanti believes that the government will soon revise this target upwards to approximately 250 GW. He attributes this optimism to high demand levels, supply readiness, and the natural compatibility of wind energy with India's load profile. Furthermore, according to annual demand plans across all states, the need for wind energy is expected to reach about 147 GW by 2035.
An additional 100 GW of demand from the open access market for the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector could raise the total demand close to 250 GW. Moreover, a recent government study indicated that transitioning to the least-cost path by adding 93 GW of wind capacity and achieving a total capacity of 250 GW would allow the Central Government to save approximately 2 trillion rupees on imports.
Currently, the sector is moving towards meeting the government's goal of 100 GW of wind power by 2030. To date, about 59 GW of projects have been completed, 29 GW has been auctioned and is under implementation, and another 15 GW is under construction for the open access C&I market. Tanti noted that these figures total around 103 GW, which guarantees the achievement of the 100 GW target by 2030.
This major industry player anticipates that India will become a global supply chain hub in the near future. Exports are planned for Southeast Asia, Europe, and the broader Global South, including Africa and South America. He added that exports to the US will also grow as trade relations improve (for example, between the US and India), and since about 133 countries use wind energy globally, this represents a significant export market for Indian manufacturers.
In Tanti's view, the industry will soon overcome power transmission challenges. Historically, transmission systems were built for traditional energy projects with maturation periods of about four years, allowing for a more relaxed approach. In contrast, renewable energy projects—solar, wind, and hybrid—require only 18 to 36 months to launch. He emphasized that government efforts are aimed at closing this gap, and within 18–24 months, grid construction will align with project timelines. The cycle in India, which is three to four years, is in a good position compared to developed countries where grid construction wait times are four to six years, and this gap will narrow in the coming years.
Currently, India's annual production capacity for wind turbines and components stands at 28–29 GW, which is higher than the expected installations of approximately 8 GW this year. He also reported that annual installations are likely to reach 13.5 GW by 2030. Furthermore, there is a large untapped wind resource, with the potential for onshore generation estimated at about 1.1 terawatt.