India's Wind Power Manufacturing Surges: Tamil Nadu Leads Localization Drive
India's wind energy sector is experiencing a significant transformation, driven by robust domestic demand, shifts in global trade dynamics, and proactive policy initiatives from the Union government. This convergence of factors is accelerating the localization of wind turbine component manufacturing across the country, with Tamil Nadu emerging as a pivotal player in this industrial evolution.
Current Manufacturing Landscape and Local Content
With an impressive manufacturing capacity exceeding 20 gigawatts (GW), India's wind industry currently boasts approximately 65–70% local content. Key components such as towers, blades, and nacelles are predominantly manufactured domestically, supported by a vast network of over 2,500 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Over the past decade, the nation has cultivated a robust supplier ecosystem that encompasses major turbine components as well as specialized equipment.
Industry estimates highlight India's substantial contribution to global manufacturing capacities: around 12% of nacelle production, 10% of blade manufacturing, 13% of tower fabrication, and approximately 17% of global gearbox output. This foundation sets the stage for ambitious expansion plans.
Advancing Toward Higher Localization Targets
The industry is now setting its sights on elevating localization levels to 85% and beyond. This push is fueled by accelerating domestic wind installations and strategic positioning of India as a key export hub for renewable energy components. Global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier-1 suppliers are entering a new phase of localization, focusing on advanced components to tap into the growing market and diversify supply chains.
Envision Energy, a Chinese-owned global wind turbine manufacturer, exemplifies this trend. The company plans to increase its Indian localization from about 60% to nearly 80% through strategic partnerships. This expansion will extend beyond blade and nacelle hubs to include critical components like generators, gearboxes, and bearings.
Similarly, Senvion India, owned by Saudi Arabia-based Alfanar, is broadening its manufacturing footprint to serve both domestic and international markets. Amit Kansal, CEO and MD of Senvion India, which operates a blade unit in Tamil Nadu, emphasized the impact of geopolitical disruptions. "We cannot afford to have our factories shut down due to the non-availability of imported raw materials at a high level, and therefore, Make in India is no longer a slogan," he stated.
Kansal added, "The localisation content levels have continued to rise for Indian as well as MNC players. OEMs are aligning platform design, supply chains and technology transfer to Indian conditions, delivering greater supply security, faster execution and improved lifecycle economics."
Tamil Nadu's Central Role in the Ecosystem
Regional manufacturing clusters have been instrumental in building this advanced ecosystem. Major OEMs, including Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and ZF, have established Tamil Nadu as a base for wind equipment production. ZF, for instance, has supplied nearly 60 GW of wind gearbox capacity to domestic and global markets from its Coimbatore plant and is expanding capabilities from research and development to testing and validation.
Vinod Shetty, CEO of Flender India, highlighted the company's initiatives, noting the opening of a new component facility at Walaja and the development of supplier ecosystems in Chennai and Coimbatore. Flender India, which assembles gearboxes and generators near Chennai, is investing in machining components locally and engaging in discussions with raw material suppliers to enhance localization.
Policy Support and Remaining Challenges
Policy changes are reinforcing the localization momentum. The Indian government amended procedures last year for including turbine models in the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM), providing further impetus to domestic manufacturing.
Francis Jayasurya, director at the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) India, observed that wind turbine manufacturing localization has accelerated over the past five years, driven by government mandates and global trade shifts. However, he pointed out that casting and forging for larger turbines, along with certain advanced materials like resins for blades, remain limited due to insufficient domestic demand.
Industry representatives note that more electronic components are increasingly being manufactured in Tamil Nadu by players such as Ingeteam. Despite these advancements, a significant challenge persists: the lack of cost competitiveness, which often makes importing more feasible. The industry advocates for viability gap funding or a production-linked incentive (PLI) programme to further enhance localization efforts and bolster India's position in the global wind energy market.
