India’s pumped storage pipeline hits 87 GW across 69 projects
Author: PPD Team Date: July 29, 2025
India has introduced several measures to accelerate the development of hydro pumped storage projects (PSPs), while the national pipeline now spans 69 projects with a combined capacity of over 87 GW.
As of June 30, 2025, ten PSPs totalling 6.2 GW have been commissioned. Another eight projects with 8.5 GW are under construction, and five projects with 5.8 GW have secured technical concurrence from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). An additional 46 projects totalling 64.8 GW are under early-stage survey and investigation.
The table below provides a detailed breakdown of these projects by development status and whether they are located on-river or off-river:
The Ministry of Power has issued guidelines to support PSP development, including provisions for land allotment, exemptions from local area funding requirements, and expedited environmental clearances. Budgetary support is available for infrastructure such as roads, ropeways, and transmission lines connecting the powerhouse to the grid.
Waiver of inter-state transmission system charges is available for PSPs awarded construction contracts by June 30, 2028. The CEA has also shortened the timeline for clearing detailed project reports from 90 to 50 days.
To improve project tracking, the Jal Vidyut DPR portal now monitors real-time progress on surveys and investigations. Competitive bidding rules for PSP-based storage procurement have also been formalised.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has reclassified PSPs for faster appraisal under B2 environmental category, while also setting data collection guidelines for off-stream projects. In August 2024, the Ministry extended drilling permissions in forest areas to include PSPs.
The 69 PSPs currently tracked include 17 on-river and 52 off-river projects. Of the operational capacity, 4,995.6 MW is from on-river sites and 1,200 MW from off-river locations such as Pinnapuram, where five units have been commissioned.
Tehri and Pinnapuram are listed as both operational and under construction due to partial commissioning in June 2025. The remaining capacity at these sites is still under development.
The pipeline is concentrated in off-river projects. Of the 46 PSPs under survey and investigation, 44 are off-river with a combined capacity of 63.3 GW. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh lead this segment with multiple projects each.
Key developers include Greenko, JSW Energy, Adani Green, NHPC, and several state utilities. Many projects aim to complete their detailed project reports by late 2025 or early 2026.
Source: Ministry of Power, CEA
