In Q1FY2027 alone, more than 8 TWh of solar power was curtailed. That is close to 2% of all the electricity India generated in the quarter, and roughly a fifth of its solar output
The report said the curtailed power was nearly 2% of total electricity generation and about a fifth of solar generation. The Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) rolling plan envisages 67,263 circuit km of new transmission lines and 629,597 MVA of additional transformation capacity by FY31, involving an estimated investment of Rs4.85 lakh crore. However, annual transmission additions have consistently fallen short of National Electricity Plan targets, with the shortfall reaching 50% in some years, Kearney said.
Because of grid congestion, india curtailed more than 8 TWh of solar power between April and June 2026, mainly.
Chennai: India needs to accelerate transmission expansion, better utilise existing grid capacity, and speed up right-of-way clearances to meet its 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030, according to a Kearney report. Transmission projects typically take three to five years to build, compared with 12-18 months for solar and wind projects. At least 14 ISTS projects covering 1,972.5 circuit km were delayed by land and clearance issues as of March 2025. Supply constraints are also adding to delays, with power transformer lead times rising to 24-42 months. India also imports about 85% of its CRGO steel. Kearney recommended a national transmission planning cell with a 15-20-year horizon, pre-cleared transmission corridors, a GIS-based national right-of-way database and a 90-day clearance timeline. Co-located storage could free up to 60% of tied-up connectivity, while flexible AC systems could raise line loading by 20-30%, it said. The report also called for eight to 10 pre-cleared transmission corridors across renewable-rich states, supported by a statutory 90-day clearance service-level agreement, a national GIS-based right-of-way database and standardised community compensation norms. It also proposed next-generation energy management systems and extending phasor measurement unit coverage to the 132 kV level to enable more predictive and analytics-driven grid operations.
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Transmission players should stop thinking of themselves as corridor builders and start operating as platform leaders to set the pace of India’s energy transition,” said Sanchit Makhija, Partner, Kearney. It called for integrated long-term transmission planning, stronger equipment supply chains and wider use of digital technologies. The report identified five key bottlenecks: fragmented planning, low utilisation of transmission assets, right-of-way delays, supply-chain constraints and uneven adoption of digital technologies. “India does not have a funding gap; it has an execution and utilisation gap. The country not only needs to build more but also use existing infrastructure more efficiently. It also proposed greater use of battery storage, flexible AC transmission systems and dynamic line-rating technology to improve utilisation of existing networks. On the supply side, Kearney recommended building domestic CRGO steel capacity through global joint ventures, entering into multi-year framework agreements with equipment manufacturers and creating a national leasing pool for mechanised construction equipment. Download the TOI App.