Gone are the days when the faint glow of an earthen lamp was all a family in a remote village had to rely on. When children studied under dim flickers, when mothers waited endlessly for water as submersible pumps lay still, and when elders sat helplessly in the dark, hoping the power would return. That era of uncertainty and hardship is now fading into history.
India has come a long way on its journey of growth and the power sector stands as a shining symbol of that transformation. Between 2014 and 2025, the country has slashed power shortages from a daunting 4.2 per cent to an astonishingly low 0.1 per cent.
This is not just a statistic, it is a reflection of lives changed, of aspirations no longer hindered by darkness. In an age where every step of economic and social progress is driven by access to reliable energy, this achievement deserves not just recognition, but applause.
Even more remarkable is the milestone of achieving 100 per cent village electrification. From the high Himalayas to the remote interiors of the Northeast, no village has been left behind in this surge of light.
This turnaround is not by chance. It has been made possible through bold reforms, massive investments in infrastructure, and a shift toward renewable energy. India is no longer just chasing energy security; it is setting an example for the world in energy accessibility, sustainability, and inclusion.
A decade of electrification
During 2013-14, India faced ubiquitous power outages and widespread power shortages. Official data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) indicated an energy shortage of 4.2 per cent during 2013-14 and a peak shortage of 4.5 per cent, which indicates enduring discrepancies between power demand and supply.
Skip to 2025, and these levels have plummeted sharply to 0.1 per cent, both energy and peak shortages, as per the Ministry of Power and NITI Aayog reports. This is one of the biggest drops in energy deficits among big economies in such a short time.
This accomplishment is closely tied to India’s rural electrification initiative. Through the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), the nation electrified villages everywhere as of April 2018 and then went on to connect over 28 million homes by 2025.
Infrastructure and national grid expansion
This change was needed to establish a robust infrastructure. During the period 2015-16 to 2024-25, the power generation capacity in the country increased from 305 GW to 476 GW, an increase of 56 per cent. Concurrently, electricity production increased from 1,168 billion units to an estimated 1,824 billion units.
India also consolidated its national power grid, allowing free flow between states and minimising regional imbalances. The integration of regional grids into a single national grid by 2014, followed by the upgradation of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS), was a major factor in the removal of bottlenecks.
Moreover, the rise in per capita electricity consumption is from 957 kWh during the year 2013-14 to 1,395 kWh in 2023-24, a 45.8 per cent increase. is evidence of enhanced reliability and availability of electricity.
The green engine of power security
One of the key pillars of India’s success story is its shift to cleaner sources of energy. From 76.37 GW of renewable capacity in March 2014, India today has 226.79 GW as of June 2025, nearly three times more. This comprises 110.9 GW of solar and 51.3 GW of wind power.
Solar energy, however, saw a spectacular rise. Solar installed capacity rose from just 2.82 GW in 2014 to 110.9 GW in 2025 – a 39 times increase. In 2024-25 alone, a record 23.83 GW of solar capacity was installed.
Accompanying this was the PM-KUSUM initiative, focused on solarising agriculture, and the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in 2024, which focused on free rooftop solar power for one crore homes. Not only did these help increase capacity but also enhanced localised energy security and lessened reliance on diesel-based generation.
Electrifying the last mile
Behind the numbers are millions of transformation stories. In areas such as the tribal tracts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand, electricity has translated into longer school hours for children, improved security at home, and the growth of micro-enterprises. The PM-JANMAN programme, initiated to electrify 1 lakh households in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) through solar power, has illuminated some of India’s remotest areas.
As of March 2025, more than 2,057 tribal families were electrified through decentralised solar systems under this mission, reported the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Policy support and political will
The historic scale and speed of India’s power sector reforms were enabled by robust policy foundations and financial support. The outlay for SAUBHAGYA alone was Rs 16,320 crore, whereas PM-KUSUM was provided with Rs 34,422 crore. The newer PM Surya Ghar program is funded with Rs 75,021 crore, reflecting the government’s continued focus on energy inclusion.
The political commitment to think of electricity as a basic driver of development, not just as an infrastructure objective propelled the success of these programs. Real-time tracking, responsibility dashboards, and decentralised implementation mechanisms played the leading roles.
The thermal pillar
Even with the renewable boom, thermal energy especially coal remains the source of strength for India’s power generation. Thermal energy itself totals 240 GW or 50.52 per cent of India’s installed capacity as of June 2025, and even coal alone contributes 219 GW.
India has also taken steps towards greenification of the coal industry, with prominent public sector undertakings such as Coal India Limited (CIL) and NLCIL pledging net-zero goals and has commissioned 1,748 MW of renewable capacity until now.
The emphasis has also been on self-reliance: coal production rose 72 per cent over the past decade, reducing import dependency from 26 per cent in 2014-15 to 19.6 per cent in 2024-25. This played a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted power supply during peak demand months, especially in summers and monsoon seasons.
Handling peak loads and climate events
In 2012, a record grid failure affected 620 million Indians. Ever since, grid resilience has been high on the agenda. The National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC), with real-time forecasting capabilities and AI-driven load balancing, has played a crucial role in keeping India powered.
The strong diversification in the energy mix has also assisted in balancing peak demand. In the heatwave in June 2023, India experienced all-time high peak demand of 240 GW, which was sustained without extensive blackouts. Experts attribute this to the punctual commissioning of renewable energy projects and successful demand-side management.
Nuclear and Hydro: The silent contributors
Temptingly overshadowed by solar and wind, nuclear and hydro power have also played their part in securing a stable energy profile. Nuclear capacity went up to 4,780 MW in 2014 from 8,780 MW in 2025. India currently has 25 nuclear reactors with an all-time high 87 per cent plant load factor in FY 2024-25.
Hydropower capacity increased from 35.8 GW in 2014 to 48 GW by 2025, as projects in the North East saw additional transmission support and equity investment to counter challenges in challenging terrain.
India among the world’s powerhouses
Based on IRENA and IEA statistics, India stands at the 3rd position worldwide in solar energy and the 4th position in wind power as of 2025. It is the only G20 nation to be on track towards achieving the Paris Agreement climate goals.
India’s contribution to global electricity demand growth will be the highest among all major economies during the next five years, led by surging industrialisation, transport electrification, and digital services.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that India’s primary energy consumption will double by 2035, highlighting the urgency to sustain the momentum in generation capacity and sustainability.
Toward a resilient, green grid
Although India has made revolutionary strides in expanding electricity access and alleviating shortages, there are ongoing challenges. Urban peak loads, battery storage constraints, and accommodating intermittent renewable sources still necessitate technological and policy innovation.
The government initiative for green hydrogen, with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, promises to develop 5 million metric tonnes of production capacity by 2030, providing another pillar to India’s clean energy framework.
India has the aspiration to achieve 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030. Currently standing at 235.7 GW, the goal is within easy reach with 176.7 GW under implementation and 72 GW under tender.
A new dawn in India’s energy story
India’s power sector revolution in the period between 2013 to 2025 is not only megawatts or gigawatts. It is about empowering a farmer who can irrigate his fields with solar pumps, a student in a far-flung village who can study at night, and a nation that no longer fears the word ‘load shedding’.
From power-deficient to an exemplar of electrification and renewables integration, India has led the way for developing economies across the world. The decline of energy shortages from 4.2 per cent to 0.1 per cent, supported by complete village electrification and a diversified energy mix, indicates a nation poised to drive growth and green responsibility as well.
The lights are finally on. And the shortages are history.
Comments