The road to energy transition in India depends not only on the speed of renewable energy capacity addition, but also on the transmission sector’s ability to move power across regions in the country. As per the National Electricity Plan, India plans to add over 191,000 ckt km of transmission lines and 1,270 GVA of transformation capacity during the 10-year period from 2022-23 to 2031-32. The interregional transmission capacity is planned to increase to 143 GW by 2027 and further to 168 GW by 2032, from the present level of 119 GW. As the grid expands, several technology trends are shaping the sector and solving long-standing challenges related to capacity, reliability and right-of-way (RoW) constraints. Power Line provides an overview of the key technology trends across India’s transmission landscape.
HVDC projects
To transmit bulk power long distances without incurring losses, the transmission system is utilising high-voltage direct current (HVDC) corridors for solar parks, wind projects, pumped hydro sites and green hydrogen zones to load centres in other states.
HVDC systems are gaining prominence for enabling asynchronous interconnection and loss-efficient power flow over distances exceeding 800-1,000 km. In 2024, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) awarded a major HVDC contract to a consortium led by Hitachi Energy India Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the design and implementation of an HVDC link to transmit renewable energy from Khavda in Gujarat to Nagpur in Maharashtra. The HVDC link will have a DC voltage of ±800 kV and a capacity of 6,000 MW, and is designed as a bi-pole and bi-directional system, with the link spanning a distance of 1,200 km. This ambitious project is part of a larger initiative to transfer power from the renewable energy zone in Khavda under Phase V (8 GW): Part A.
Another key ongoing project is Rajasthan Part I Power Transmission Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Energy Solutions Limited, for which the contract was awarded to a consortium comprising Hitachi Energy and BHEL in mid-2025. The contract will see the consortium design and deliver HVDC terminals to transmit renewable energy from the Bhadla area of Rajasthan to the industrial and transport hub in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. The 6 GW, 950 km HVDC link can power approximately 60 million households in India.
Another key planned project is the 1,150 km HVDC undersea power cable linking Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Paradip, Odisha. The ±320 kV, 250 MW HVDC (voltage source converter [VSC]-based) interconnection through the undersea cable will be the first of its kind in the country. Meanwhile, an HVDC overhead link between Madurai in India and New Habarana in Sri Lanka with 2x500MW HVDC terminals based on VSC technology is also being studied for cross-border interconnection.
In parallel, a major initiative has been undertaken to address hydropower evacuation from the Brahmaputra basin. In October 2025, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) released the Transmission System Master Plan for the evacuation of power from hydroelectric projects in the Brahmaputra basin. According to the plan, the Brahmaputra sub-basins hold an exploitable hydropower potential of around 64,945 MW (projects above 25 MW). Given how far these locations are from major load centres, the plan proposes a massive transmission build-out with an estimated cost of Rs 6.43 trillion. The preliminary locations of pooling stations have been identified at sites such as Namsai, Roing, Niglok, Gogamukh, Rowta and Silapathar. In total, seven HVDC stations, each with a capacity of 6,000 MW, have been proposed to evacuate power from these sites toward major demand centres in the eastern, northern and western regions. The plan also suggests installing switchable bus reactors at the generating stations to manage reactive power and ensure stability across long corridors.
Advanced conductors
A key trend is the adoption of high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) conductors, which includes designs such as the aluminium conductor composite core, aluminium conductor composite reinforced and invar-based designs for new and reconductoring projects. These technologies are gaining traction due to their ability to provide up to three times ampacity compared to the conventional aluminium conductor steel reinforced. They also have the ability to operate in heat-prone regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat due to their higher thermal limits and low sag at elevated temperatures. India is the largest market for HTLS conductors globally. A notable deployment of HTLS conductors occurred in POWERGRID’s 400 kV Bhiwani-Meerat reconductoring project, which increased the power transfer capacity by over 90 per cent without altering tower design. Similar projects are under way in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where load growth and solar injection are concentrated along legacy lines.
Lines can also be upgraded using insulated cross arms (ICAs) as they require less footprint. The ICA can be deployed in combination with HTLS conductors to further raise the height of the conductor above the ground. At present, ICAs are not commonly used in India except in Telangana and Kerala. In Kerala, a 66 kV line was upgraded to 110 kV using composite ICA (CICA). In Telangana, the steel cross-arm of the Imlibun-Bandlaguda 132 kV transmission line was replaced by CICA in 2019 to minimise RoW.
Monopoles
In July 2022, the CEA issued the Standard Technical Specification for Steel Monopole Structures to highlight the utilisation of monopole structures. Recently, they have been gaining momentum in places with space constraints. With a lower footprint, fewer component requirements and faster erection timelines, they are more attractive than lattice towers. Despite their smaller base area, monopoles can support heights of over 40-50 metres, offering a more environmentally compatible option for dense urban and semi-urban alignments. Utilities are increasingly deploying monopoles across various locations in the country to address RoW challenges and accelerate project execution. Existing towers are also being replaced with narrow-based towers. This was undertaken by Transmission Corporation of Telangana Limited in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area for road expansion.
Digitalisation initiatives
As transmission infrastructure age, grid operators have been adopting digital technologies to improve visibility for fault detection, reliability and measuring asset performance. Transmission utilities are now deploying real-time monitoring tools, internet of things (IoT) sensors, drone-based inspections and advanced analytics to transition from time-based to condition-based maintenance regimes. Geographical information system (GIS) is being deployed by utilities for asset mapping.
One such digital innovation has been the deployment of dynamic line rating (DLR) systems to unlock additional capacity from existing lines. For example, the first 400 kV DLR project in India, implemented by POWERGRID on the 95 km Madurai-Tuticorin transmission line in Tamil Nadu, was used for evacuating wind power from southern coastal zones. It now operates with real-time, artificial intelligence-driven DLR sensors that forecast conductor capacity based on weather and line conditions. The system integrates meteorological data, satellite inputs and sensor feedback on conductor temperature, sag and vibration to dynamically update ampacity values every few minutes. The platform also incorporates a digital twin of the transmission line to simulate performance under different operating conditions.
Meanwhile, digital substations are also gaining prominence. In May 2025, POWERGRID commissioned a 765kV digital substation at Navsari in Gujarat. This extra-high-voltage substation is the first digital substation in the world at the 765 kV level, and is equipped with a remote monitoring facility that can be monitored from anywhere.
For operations and maintenance, there are asset performance management units that integrate historical supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, use live sensor feeds and weather forecasts to develop predictive maintenance schedules. Another trend is the adoption of digital twins. These are real-time, virtual replicas of physical transmission networks that can stimulate grid performance and predict contingencies. Digital twins combine SCADA, phasor measurement unit, GIS and IoT sensor data with advanced analytics and physics-based simulation to model the dynamic behaviour of the grid under various operating conditions.
Drones
Utilities have been deploying drones, infrared and thermal imaging cameras to inspect towers, conductors and insulators in areas that are otherwise inaccessible. This allows faster identification of hot spots, broken strands, corrosion and clearance violations without prolonged outages or manpower risks.
Several players entered into partnerships to scale the use of drone and robotics technologies across the transmission project lifecycle. These partnerships include applications such as GIS surveys, route optimisation, construction progress tracking and real-time inspection of assets using high-precision drone-mounted sensors.
Recently, private transmission major Resonia Limited announced plans for partnering with a drone technology company for deploying heavy-lift drones in transmission projects for streamlining survey, construction and maintenance processes, transporting materials and assisting in conductor operations, especially in remote or difficult terrains. These traditionally labour- or helicopter-intensive activities can now be executed with reduced cost and lower safety risks.
Challenges and outlook
While technological advancements are playing a crucial role in grid modernisation, their implementation in India faces several challenges. Land acquisition remains one of the most significant challenges. This often leads to delays due to compensation disputes, RoW constraints and challenges in obtaining environmental clearances. Additionally, state transmission utilities often lack the funds and creditworthiness to adopt cutting-edge technologies. Delays in tariff approvals, cost-recovery uncertainties for pilot innovations (such as digital twins and dynamic line rating), and the absence of dedicated green transmission funds have restricted progress.
The integration of digital tools also remains uneven. Many state utilities still rely on manual logs and legacy IT systems, limiting the granularity of asset health data. With cybersecurity risks rising, it is important that these systems be updated. Similarly, for HVDC projects, with capital costs often ranging from Rs 8 million-Rs 10 million per MW, it becomes a financially infeasible project.
In short, while the technology ecosystem is maturing, the real test lies in aligning institutional capacity, regulatory support and execution discipline. Bridging this gap will be critical to unlocking the full potential of India’s transmission sector.
