India’s Rural Power Supply Rises to 22.6 Hours in 2025: Union Power Minister

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Friday (February 21) that the average electricity supply in rural areas has increased from 12.5 hours in 2014 to 22.6 hours in 2025, while in urban areas, it has reached 23.4 hours.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Khattar credited initiatives such as Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), PM Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) for significantly improving power accessibility over the past decade. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving 100% household electrification across the country.

The minister highlighted that India’s fossil-based power capacity has grown from 168 GW in 2014 to 246 GW in January 2025, marking a 46% increase. Meanwhile, non-fossil-based power capacity has surged from 80 GW in 2014 to 220 GW in 2025—an increase of approximately 180%.

India’s transmission network has also expanded significantly, from 2.91 lakh circuit kilometers (ckm) in 2014 to 4.92 lakh ckm in 2025. Additionally, the country has transitioned from being a net importer of power in 2014 to a net exporter, with power exports reaching 1,625 million units (MU) in 2025.

The energy shortage has been significantly reduced from 4.2% in 2014 to 0.1% in 2025, with ongoing efforts to eliminate the remaining gap. The minister also noted a decline in Power Distribution Companies' (Discoms) aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, which have fallen from 22.62% in 2014 to 15% in 2025. The government aims to bring these losses down further to 10% by 2030.

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