India’s Adani Group said Friday it will invest about 630 billion rupees ($7.17 billion) in two major energy projects in the northeastern state of Assam, including what is set to become the region’s largest privately built coal-fired power plant. The announcement follows Reuters reporting last month that Adani Power had emerged as the lowest bidder for a 3.2-gigawatt coal power supply tender issued by the state, marking a significant step in India’s return to large-scale coal development after more than a decade of subdued private investment.
Adani said its coal power subsidiary will allocate roughly 480 billion rupees ($5.46 billion) to building the massive plant, which is expected to begin phased commissioning in December 2030. The project reinforces the company’s broader push into greenfield coal-based generation; in August, Adani Power unveiled plans to invest about $5 billion in two additional coal-powered plants. The company aims to expand total capacity from 18 GW to 42 GW by fiscal year 2032, backed by an investment pipeline of 2 trillion rupees.
India, the world’s second-largest coal producer and consumer, continues to rely on coal for roughly three-quarters of its electricity generation each year. Unlike China—which has begun reducing its dependence on the fuel—India maintains coal as a core component of its energy strategy to meet surging demand, while simultaneously accelerating renewable expansion.
Alongside the coal investment, Adani’s clean energy arm, Adani Green Energy, plans to spend about 150 billion rupees on two pumped-storage hydropower projects in Assam. Together, the plants will provide 2,700 megawatts of capacity, including 500 MW awarded in a recent state tender. The projects form part of the company’s push to scale its renewable portfolio, which currently stands at 16.7 GW and is targeted to reach 50 GW by 2030.
Earlier this year, group chairman Gautam Adani pledged to invest 500 billion rupees across India’s northeastern region, and Friday’s announcement signals a rapid acceleration of that commitment. In a separate statement, the conglomerate said it will invest 1 trillion rupees in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh over the next decade across various sectors, underscoring the group’s expanding national footprint.
