Bengaluru: On the occasion of Global Wind Day 2025, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, today underscored the pivotal role of wind energy in India’s renewable energy strategy, specifically highlighting Odisha as a key state for future expansion.
Speaking at a conference of stakeholders in Bengaluru, Minister Shri Joshi emphasized the need for a coordinated national push to fully unlock India’s wind potential, identifying the expansion into new states including Odisha as a top priority. Secretary MNRE, Shri Santosh Sarangi graced the occasion.
Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shri Shripad Yesso Naik and Karnataka’s Energy Minister Shri K.G. George were also present at the event, which saw felicitation of top-performing states in wind capacity addition, with Karnataka leading the charge. MNRE Secretary Shri Sarangi Presented Road Map on Wind Energy.
“To become a global manufacturing hub, India needs energy, be it solar, wind, or any other form,” stated Shri Joshi. He expressed pride in India’s robust wind turbine manufacturing capabilities, with 33 models ranging from 225 kW to 5.2 MW produced by 14 companies, meeting both domestic and global demands.
Highlighting the five key priorities for accelerating wind energy deployment, Minister Joshi specifically named Odisha, alongside Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, as states targeted for significant expansion. This comes as a strong signal for the coastal state, which the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has identified with an estimated wind power potential of 12,129 MW at 150 meters hub height.
Despite this substantial potential, Odisha currently has no grid-connected wind power projects. However, the state’s proactive “Odisha Renewable Energy Policy 2022” aims to attract investments in clean energy, including wind, and has already seen recent approvals for wind energy projects. The Single Window Committee of the state’s Energy Department recently granted in-principle approval for two wind power projects totaling 95.7 MW, with an investment of ₹1191.47 crores. Furthermore, the “Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025” attracted investment proposals worth ₹4.33 lakh crore in the renewable energy sector for the state.
Potential wind energy sites in Odisha have been identified across nine districts, including Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Balasore, and Kendrapara. The push for wind energy in Odisha is crucial not only for achieving national renewable energy targets, including India’s commitment to 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030, but also for enhancing the state’s energy security and fostering industrial growth.
Minister Shri Joshi also released the ‘Wind Energy Roadmap’ and ‘Manufacturing Roadmap’ reports at the event, which he stated would serve as guiding frameworks for building a strong and “Aatmanirbhar” (self-reliant) wind energy ecosystem in India. As Odisha is now firmly on the national radar for wind energy development, these roadmaps are expected to significantly influence the state’s renewable energy trajectory in the coming years.