India Wind Renewable Consumption Obligation 2026

India's Wind Record — and Why It Matters Now

India added 6.05 GW of wind capacity in FY2026, the highest annual addition in the country's history. This surpassed the previous record of 5.5 GW set in FY2016-17 by a significant margin and represents a 46% increase over FY2025. The cumulative installed wind capacity crossed 56 GW as of March 31, 2026.

The states driving this growth are Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra — all of which are also major solar markets. This geographic overlap is not a coincidence. Wind and solar resources are often found in the same regions, which is why the wind solar hybrid project model has been gaining traction. A site in Gujarat that is good for solar is often also good for wind and sharing a single grid connection between the two technologies reduces the combined cost significantly.

What the Wind RCO Means

The Renewable Consumption Obligation framework in India has historically been broad, requiring large consumers to source a percentage of their power from renewable energy (solar, wind, or other RE combined). The introduction of a separate Wind RCO creates a specific wind purchase target for large industrial and commercial consumers, independent of their solar RPO compliance.

This matters because it creates a new category of corporate demand that can only be satisfied by wind power — not substituted by solar. A factory that meets its solar RPO entirely through its rooftop solar installation still needs to procure wind power separately to comply with the Wind RCO. This demand is channelled through wind power purchase agreements, wind open access, or REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) purchases from wind generators.

The specific Wind RCO percentages are set by state electricity regulatory commissions and vary by state. In states with separate wind RPO targets, large consumers face compliance obligations that can be penalised if unmet, creating genuine demand for wind power procurement at scale.

The ISTS Waiver — Why Wind Projects Are Moving Fast

One of the key policy supports for wind growth has been the Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charge waiver. Projects commissioned before June 30, 2028 are exempt from ISTS charges for 25 years. ISTS charges — which typically add Rs 0.40 to 0.60 per unit to the delivered cost of power can represent a significant fraction of a project's economics. Avoiding them for 25 years is a powerful financial incentive that has driven developers to accelerate project timelines.

This waiver applies to wind, solar, and hybrid projects. For solar EPCs who have been executing ground mounted projects under the ISTS waiver deadline, the same logic applies to wind and hybrid projects they may be asked to execute. June 2028 is approximately 26 months away, which is within the typical 18 to 24 month construction timeline for a large project. Any wind or hybrid project that receives a Letter of Award today needs to begin construction within the next few months to commission before the waiver deadline.

How Solar EPCs Enter the Wind Market

Very few solar EPCs have the capability to install wind turbines — that is a specialised skill requiring cranes, turbine specific civil works, and different electrical designs. But a solar EPC can enter the hybrid project market without becoming a wind turbine installer. The model is partnership:

Solar EPC does the solar portion. Wind turbine specialist does the wind turbines. A single project developer owns both. The developer needs both sets of capabilities under one project. An EPC who can offer the solar half of a hybrid project — grid connection design, solar array, substation work, monitoring is a valuable partner for a wind developer who lacks solar capability.

States where this partnership model is most active: Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. These are the states with the most active wind solar hybrid tenders from SECI and state utilities. If you are an EPC in these states, contact wind developers in your area and explore joint bid arrangements for hybrid tenders. Your solar credentials, local execution capability, and vendor relationships are genuinely valuable in this context.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Wind RCO and the solar RPO?

The Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) is the broad requirement for large power consumers to source a percentage of their electricity from renewable energy. Within this, states have introduced technology specific sub targets. The Wind Renewable Consumption Obligation (Wind RCO) is a specific wind power percentage that must be met with wind generated electricity — it cannot be substituted by solar or other RE. Similarly, the solar RPO is the specific solar percentage. A large consumer must comply with both separately. The Wind RCO is set by each state's electricity regulatory commission and varies by state and year.

Can my commercial solar client meet their Wind RCO through REC purchases?

Yes. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) allow large consumers to meet their RPO / RCO obligations without physical generation on site.

Yes. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) allow large consumers to meet their RPO / RCO obligations without physical generation on site. A wind REC represents one unit of wind generated electricity and can be purchased through the Indian Energy Exchange or the Power Exchange India. This is the simplest compliance route for a commercial client who cannot install wind turbines on their site. For EPCs, this is worth flagging to commercial clients who ask about Wind RCO compliance — pointing them to the REC market is a value added service that builds your advisory relationship.

Is the ISTS waiver deadline definitely June 2028?

As of April 21, 2026, the ISTS charge waiver for wind and solar projects applies to projects commissioned before June 30, 2028, as confirmed in MNRE's April 2026 wind capacity announcement. There has been no extension announced beyond this date. Developers and EPCs should plan project timelines conservatively to ensure commissioning before the deadline — a project that misses it pays ISTS charges for its full 25 year operating life, which significantly changes project economics.

Sources

• Enerdata — enerdata.net — India achieves highest annual wind capacity addition of 6.05 GW in FY2025-26 (April 6, 2026)
• JMK Research / SolarBytes — solarbytes.info — JMK Research FY2026: 6 GW wind, 45.6% YoY increase, ISTS waiver reference
• MNRE — mnre.gov.in — Wind RCO framework; National Wind Solar Hybrid Policy; ISTS waiver provisions
• SolarQuarter — solarquarter.com — MNRE: India achieves record 6.05 GW wind in FY2025-26 (April 7, 2026)