By Abdullahi Lukman
India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has announced a ₹6.4 trillion ($77 billion) transmission infrastructure plan to evacuate over 76 gigawatts (GW) of hydroelectric power from the Brahmaputra River basin by 2047.
The move is part of efforts to meet the country’s growing electricity demand and advance its clean energy targets.
According to a CEA report released on Monday, the proposed transmission network will support 208 large hydro projects across 12 sub-basins in the northeast, covering states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and others.
These projects include 64.9 GW of hydro capacity and 11.1 GW from pumped storage facilities.
The plan is structured in two phases: ₹1.91 trillion is allocated for phase one, which runs until 2035, and ₹4.52 trillion for phase two. Several projects are already in development and will be implemented by public sector units such as NHPC, NEEPCO, and SJVN.
The Brahmaputra basin, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh near the China border, holds more than 80% of India’s untapped hydro potential—about 52.2 GW in Arunachal alone.
Its strategic location and transboundary nature raise concerns over water flows, especially due to China’s dam construction on the Yarlung Zangbo, which could impact downstream availability during dry seasons.
This transmission plan supports India’s broader energy transition goals, which include achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2070.
