India targets 100 GW Pumped Storage Hydropower capacity by 2035

Key facts

• The International Hydropower Association (IHA) released the 2026 World Hydropower Outlook, noting that South and Central Asia added 5839 MW of hydropower capacity in 2025.
• India aims to expand its pumped storage capacity from the current 3.5–5 GW to 50–57 GW by 2032 and reach a total of 100 GW by 2035.
• Odisha has identified 45 pumped storage sites with a combined potential exceeding 34 GW, while the Brahmaputra basin plans include 11 GW of pumped storage and 65 GW of conventional hydropower.
• Israel commissioned the 344 MW Kokhav Hayarden pumped storage plant in 2025, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) advanced trial operations at the 250 MW Hatta facility.
• Tajikistan reopened the Qairokkum hydropower plant in 2025 following a modernisation programme that increased its installed capacity from 126 MW to 174 MW.