Union Minister Manohar Lal Highlights Affordable Power Goals

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal recently spoke at Bharat Electricity Summit 2026 in New Delhi. He said that affordable electricity is a basic need for every person. He also pointed out the success of schemes like Saubhagya Yojana and PM Surya Ghar in providing power to remote border areas.

Growth in power capacity

Ministry data shows India now has an installed capacity of over 520 gigawatts. Solar energy production has grown fast, moving from 2.8 gigawatts in 2014 to more than 143 gigawatts now. Electricity demand will likely grow by 30 percent by 2030, driven by AI data centers and electric vehicles. To meet these energy goals, India may need investments over 22 trillion dollars by 2070. Government focus remains on long-term energy planning to handle this rise.