The Centre is accelerating the expansion of India’s Green Energy Corridor (GEC) and Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) to create the transmission infrastructure required for the country’s rapidly growing renewable-energy capacity. The government has planned these systems to integrate more than 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and over 600 GW by 2032. 
The transmission expansion is being planned alongside the addition of renewable generation so that electricity produced from large solar, wind and other non-fossil fuel projects can be evacuated and supplied across regions. Under the National Electricity Plan’s transmission component, the network operating at 220 kV and above is projected to expand to 6.48 lakh circuit km by 2031-32. Transformation capacity is also expected to increase to 2,345 GVA during the same period. 
The government also plans to increase inter-regional transmission capacity from 120 GW as of January 2026 to 168 GW by 2032. Transmission schemes associated with renewable-energy projects are being implemented in phases, with their development aligned with the expected addition of renewable capacity. 
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing the Green Energy Corridor as an intra-state transmission scheme in 10 states — Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. 
The programme is being executed through GEC-I and GEC-II, with the two phases designed to facilitate the evacuation of around 44 GW of renewable energy. Of this capacity, about 26 GW has already been integrated, according to the government. A further GEC-III intra-state transmission system for large-scale renewable-energy integration is under consideration. 
The expansion of transmission infrastructure is being accompanied by measures to address the intermittent nature of renewable power. The government is promoting a combination of energy-storage systems and hybrid renewable projects to improve grid stability and ensure reliable electricity supply. 
Under the National Electricity Plan, transmission systems for around 35.6 GW of pumped-storage projects have already been planned up to 2031-32. In addition, transmission requirements have been identified for supporting 100 GW of pumped-storage projects between 2025-26 and 2035-36. 
Battery storage is also becoming an important part of the planned grid architecture. Around 47 GW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has been considered for integration by 2031-32. To support deployment, the government is implementing two Viability Gap Funding schemes covering approximately 43.8 GWh of BESS capacity, launched in March 2024 and June 2025. 
The Ministry of Heavy Industries is separately implementing the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage, backed by a 18,100 crore Production Linked Incentive scheme. The programme is intended to establish 50 GWh of advanced chemistry cell battery manufacturing capacity, including 10 GWh for grid-scale storage. 
Regulatory changes are also being introduced to improve the utilisation of transmission infrastructure. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s 2025 regulations have introduced solar-hour and non-solar-hour connectivity, enabling more efficient use of transmission capacity and supporting hybrid projects combining solar, wind and battery storage. 
The government’s latest transmission planning comes as India continues to expand its renewable-energy base. As of January 2026, around 263 GW of renewable-energy capacity had been commissioned. The ISTS network is also at various stages of implementation for integrating approximately 207 GW of upcoming wind and solar generation capacity. 
In parallel, around 18 GW of renewable capacity has been considered for integration into intra-state networks through the MNRE’s Green Energy Corridor programme, while another 19 GW of additional hydropower capacity has been planned up to 2030. 
The expansion of transmission networks, combined with storage and hybrid-generation solutions, is intended to strengthen the national grid and enable India to absorb larger volumes of renewable electricity as the country progresses towards its long-term non-fossil fuel capacity targets. 
Source- PIB