On 31 July 2025, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) introduced sweeping regulations for the wind energy sector.

Key Provisions of the Policy

• Key reform: Mandatory domestic supply chains, R&D centres, and data centres for all wind turbine manufacturers operating in India.

• ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers – Wind)
  • Replaces RLMM.
  • Mandates sourcing of critical components (blades, towers, gearboxes, generators, bearings) exclusively from domestic approved suppliers.
  • These components constitute 65–70% of turbine cost.
• Domestic R&D Requirements
  All manufacturers to set up R&D centres within one year.
  • Turbines must be customised for Indian conditions (low wind speeds, high temperatures, dust storms, etc.).
• Cybersecurity Safeguards
  • All turbine data storage in India.
  • Ban on real-time operational data transfers abroad.
  • Operations & control to be conducted only from Indian facilities
• Quality Assurance (BIS Certification)
  • Mandatory BIS certification for all turbine components from Sept 2026.
  • Ensures safety, reliability, and performance standards under Machinery & Electrical Equipment Safety norms.
• Transition Provisions
  • Exemptions for projects bid out before July 2025 (commissioned within 3 years).
  • Captive/industrial projects exempt if commissioned within 18 months.
  • Innovation window: 800 MW capacity exemption for new models over 2 years.

Rationale Behind the Reforms

• Strategic Autonomy: Reducing dependence on Chinese imports (China’s market share in India rose from 10% in 2019 → 45% in 2025).
• Level Playing Field: Domestic players like Suzlon (31% share) disadvantaged due to cheaper Chinese imports.
• National Security:
  • Risks of foreign-controlled data servers & software updates (flagged by NSA & NITI Aayog).
  • Cyber resilience of critical infrastructure.
• Efficiency: Tackle underutilisation of domestic manufacturing (20 GW capacity, but only 4.15 GW installed in FY 2024–25).

Key Government Initiatives

• National Offshore Wind Energy Policy (2015): Leverages India’s coastline for offshore wind projects, with NIWE as the nodal agency for development.
• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy (2018): Promotes hybrid projects combining wind and solar to enhance grid stability and diversify energy sources.
• Financial Incentives: Encourages private investment through benefits like accelerated depreciation, concessional customs duty on components, and the Generation-Based Incentive for pre-March 2017 projects.
• Repowering Policy for Wind Power Projects: Targets replacement of older wind turbines (under 2 MW) with modern, higher-capacity units to boost generation from existing sites.
• Wind Capacity Expansion: Sets a Wind Renewable Purchase Obligation trajectory till 2030 and waives ISTS charges for solar and wind projects commissioned by June 30, 2025.

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