The government plans to significantly ramp up its hydro pumped storage capacity by adding up to 13 GW of hydro pumped storage projects (PSPs) each year, to reach a target of 50 GW by 2032, aiming to support grid stability and clean energy storage.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) expects annual capacity additions to rise sharply, from the current average of three GW to 10-13 GW starting FY29, marking over a fourfold increase. Ghanshyam Prasad, CEA Chairperson, highlighted these plans at the 'Conference on Energy Storage - Driving the Clean Energy Transition,' organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Presently, India has an installed pumped storage capacity of around 4.7 GW.

The expansion will integrate more gigawatt-hours of energy storage, crucial for balancing the increasing share of renewable power in the energy mix. This strategic move reflects the government’s commitment to bolstering India’s clean energy infrastructure and enhancing grid resilience as part of its broader sustainability and decarbonisation goals.