India Hits 5 Lakh Circuit KM Milestone in Power Transmission Lines

India’s national power transmission network has crossed 5 lakh circuit kilometres (ckm) of high-voltage lines, with transformation capacity of 1,407 gigavolt amperes (GVA) at 220 kV and above, the Ministry of Power said, as per PIB.  

The milestone was reached on January 14, 2026, following the commissioning of a new transmission corridor in Rajasthan. The newly commissioned 628 ckm, 765 kV transmission line connects the Bhadla II and Sikar II substations.  

The line supports evacuation of renewable energy from the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone and allows an additional 1,100 MW of power from the Bhadla, Ramgarh and Fatehgarh solar complexes. 

Expansion Since 2014 

Since April 2014, India’s transmission network has expanded by about 71.6%, with the addition of around 2.09 lakh ckm of transmission lines at 220 kV and above. 

Transformation capacity has increased by 876 GVA over the same period, reflecting higher build-out of substations and associated infrastructure. 

Inter-regional power transfer capacity now stands at 1,20,340 MW, which has enabled electricity transfers across regions through a unified national grid operating at a single frequency. 

Projects Under Implementation 

Inter-state transmission projects under construction are expected to add roughly 40,000 ckm of transmission lines and 399 GVA of transformation capacity.  

Intra-state transmission projects are projected to contribute another 27,500 ckm of lines and 134 GVA of capacity. 

These projects are aimed at improving the grid’s ability to move power from generation centres to consumption regions and reducing congestion in key corridors. 

Renewable Energy Context 

The expansion of transmission infrastructure is linked to India’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel generation capacity by 2030. Additional transmission capacity is required to connect large renewable energy zones with load centres. 

Read More: Government of India Extends GEI Compliance to New Carbon-Intensive Sectors! 

Conclusion 

Crossing the 5 lakh ckm mark shows the scale of transmission network additions over the past decade. Further expansion is expected as power generation and demand continue to rise. 

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