The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued a report titled “Roadmap to 100 GW of Hydro Pumped Storage Projects by 2035-36” outlining policy, regulatory, institutional and infrastructure measures required to enable the development of 100 GW of pumped storage capacity over the next 10 years.
As per the report, the total installed capacity of pumped storage projects is expected to reach around 87 GW by 2033-34. The average capacity addition per year is going to be 9 GW per year. The report estimates India’s pumped storage potential at about 267 GW, comprising around 58 GW of on-stream pumped storage projects and 209 GW of off-stream projects. As of December 31, 2025, 10 pumped storage projects with a combined installed capacity of 7 GW are in operation, while another 10 projects totalling 12 GW are under construction. Projects with detailed project reports concurred by the CEA but yet to commence account for 9.6 GW. In the survey and investigation stage, the report identifies 54 pumped storage projects totalling 75 GW, including 52 closed-loop projects designed primarily for storage. The report notes that assessed pumped storage potential has risen sharply in recent years, increasing from 97,565.6 MW as of December 31, 2022 to 266,845.6 MW as of December 31, 2025. It attributes this growth largely to increased identification of off-stream closed loop projects, many of which are self-identified by developers based on evolving technical, topographical and commercial considerations, making the overall potential dynamic.