Global Wind Day 2026: Charting India's Path to 100 GW and Beyond

📌 Summary:

• India will host the Global Wind Day 2026 Conference on 15 June 2026 in Goa, theme "Wind Energy: From Ambition to Acceleration"; Global Wind Day is marked annually on 15 June
• Wind resource potential: 695.5 GW at 120 m and 1,163.9 GW at 150 m hub height, concentrated in eight states (Rajasthan highest at 284.2 GW, then Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, MP, Telangana)
• Capacity: India ranks 4th globally; installed wind capacity rose from 21.04 GW (March 2014) to 56.09 GW (March 2026), a 2.66× increase; record 6.05 GW added in 2025-26; 28 GW under implementation; targets of 100 GW by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036
• Manufacturing: turbine manufacturing capacity up from 10 GW (2014) to ~24 GW (2026); 70–80% indigenisation; ~45% of wind generation occurs in peak-demand hours, complementing solar
• Key interventions: ₹6,853 crore Viability Gap Funding for 1,000 MW offshore wind (500 MW each off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu); ₹500 crore disbursed under Generation Based Incentive; a 500 MW Contracts for Difference (CfD) pilot; a January 2026 Task Force; a dedicated wind Renewable Purchase Obligation; Green Energy Open Access Rules; and ALMM implementation

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Environment — renewable energy, the energy transition, offshore wind and India's climate commitments.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Global Wind Day: 15 June; 2026 conference hosted in Goa
• India ranks 4th globally in installed wind capacity; 56.09 GW (March 2026)
• Targets: 100 GW by 2030, 156 GW by 2036
• CfD = Contracts for Difference; VGF = Viability Gap Funding; ALMM = Approved List of Models and Manufacturers

🔑 Key Term: Contracts for Difference (CfD) — a mechanism guaranteeing renewable developers a strike price, reducing price volatility and providing revenue certainty.