In a first, Wind energy tenders surpass solar in Q1 FY27
Now here's a small but telling shift in India's clean energy story. For the first time, wind power tenders have overtaken standalone solar tenders in volume during the April to June quarter of this financial year, according to the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association. Wind made up more than a third of the over 9 gigawatt of renewable capacity tendered in that quarter. So basically, procurement priorities are diversifying beyond solar, which has dominated India's renewable push for years. What this really means for CLAT is another data point on India's energy transition and its climate commitments. Bottom line for the exam, remember this marks a first of its kind shift in renewable tendering.
In a first, wind power tenders in terms of volume surpassed standalone solar power tenders during the April-June quarter in FY27, which the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) asserts is an important shift in the country’s clean energy procurement priorities.
Besides, wind energy accounted for more than one-third of the total tenders of the over 9 gigawatt (GW) tenders floated during the June quarter of the current financial year.
According to IWTMA’s wind energy capacity tenders dashboard, a total of 9.34 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity was tendered in Q1 FY27.
Of this, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) emerged as the dominant segment with 3.48 GW capacity tendered, accounting for 37.3 per cent of the cumulative tendered capacity across electricity-generating technologies.
Storage was followed by Wind with 2.35 GW capacity accounting for a 25.2 per cent share. Solar took the third spot with 1.34 GW tendered capacity (14.4 per cent share) and firm & dispatchable RE (FDRE) with 1.20 GW of tenders floated and accounting for 12.8 share. Hybrid (0.82 GW and 8.8 per cent) and Hybrid-RTC (0.15 GW and 1.6 per cent) accounted for smaller shares.
Aditya Pyasi, CEO of IWTMA, told businessline that the latest renewable energy tender mix reflects an important evolution in India’s clean energy journey.
The focus is gradually shifting from adding renewable capacity to delivering reliable and dispatchable clean power that can meet the growing needs of the grid, he emphasised.
“One of the most significant trends is that, among electricity-generating technologies, wind (power) procurement has surpassed standalone solar in the latest quarter. This marks an important shift in procurement priorities, where dependable power is becoming as important as capacity addition,” Pyasi noted.
At the same time, the increasing emphasis on battery energy storage systems is a positive development for the sector. As India moves towards greater renewable energy integration, storage will play a critical role in enhancing grid flexibility and enabling more reliable delivery of clean power, he added.
“Together, wind and storage will be pivotal in building a resilient, round-the-clock clean energy ecosystem. As India’s clean energy transition gathers pace, sustained policy support, timely tender issuance and faster project execution will be essential to maintain deployment momentum and achieve the country’s long-term energy security and net-zero ambitions. Wind and storage are complementary pillars of India’s next phase of renewable energy growth,” Pyasi said.