Ghanisham Prasad, the Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority of India (CEA), announced that India needs to revise its plan for increasing new coal capacity by 2035 due to the rapid increase in electricity demand. These remarks were made at a business event and reflect the growing need for sustainable and flexible resources to meet the country's increasing energy needs.
Current Plans for Coal in India
Currently, India has planned to increase its coal power generation capacity to 97 gigawatts by 2035, reaching a total coal capacity of 307 gigawatts. However, Ghanisham Prasad stated that given the increase in electricity demand last year, this plan may need to be reconsidered. The current installed coal capacity in India is 231 gigawatts, which constitutes about 42 percent of the country's total electricity generation capacity.
Increasing Electricity Demand and Future Outlook
Ghanisham Prasad stated, "It is currently predicted that the new coal capacity may increase to 105 gigawatts or even 150 gigawatts." These remarks indicate the need for sustainable resources to respond to the growing electricity demand. Additionally, reports suggest that by August 2026, India's renewable electricity generation capacity, excluding large hydroelectric, will reach 243 gigawatts, with its share at 44 percent.
This increase in renewable capacity started from 193 gigawatts in August 2025 and clearly indicates a growing trend in the use of renewable energy resources in India. However, this does not mean that India can rely entirely on renewable energy. Ghanisham Prasad also pointed to the increase in nuclear energy production capacity in India, stating that the country's goal is to increase nuclear capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047, which is currently only 8.8 gigawatts.
Furthermore, India has planned to build five small modular reactors domestically by 2033. These efforts reflect India's initiatives to diversify energy sources and meet the increasing electricity needs of the country.
