What is India's peak electricity demand?

History

Peak demand met is the most electricity supplied across India at one moment, in GW. It is a one-day high, not a monthly average. The Ministry of Power said the April 2026 peak was met without any shortage.

The figures side by side

How we got this number

1. Take the all-time high from PTI's report in Outlook Business of 1 June 2026, which cites official data: 270.82 GW, against 230.99 GW in May 2025.
2. Check it against the ministry's own statement to Parliament, reported by Energetica India on 24 July 2026: 270.8 GW in May 2026, the same value rounded.
3. Put it next to earlier records from the Ministry of Power's PIB release of 28 April 2026: 250 GW on 30 May 2024 and 256.1 GW on 25 April 2026.

What this number does not tell you

• Grid-India's own report was not opened. The figure is the Ministry of Power's data as reported by PTI (Outlook Business) and Energetica India, which agree on 270.82 GW and 270.8 GW.
• Peak demand is the highest single moment of the year so far, not electricity used over a month or a year, and a new record can replace it in any summer.
• The chart shows each new all-time high, so the gaps between its dates are not equal.

Sources

1. Ministry of Power data, reported by Outlook Business (PTI), 1 June 2026The peak power demand jumped to an all-time record high of 270.82 GW last month from 230.99 GW recorded in May 2025 amid heat wave conditions.
2. Ministry of Power data, reported by Outlook Business (PTI), daily records in May 2026, 1 June 2026The peak power demand was at a record high of 257.37 GW on May 18, 260.45 GW on May 19, 265.44 GW on May 20 and 270.82 GW on May 21.
3. Ministry of Power reply to Parliament, reported by Energetica India, 24 July 2026India successfully met an all-time high peak power demand of 270.8 GW in May 2026. In July, peak demand crossed the 270 GW mark twice, with the power system meeting the requirement without any reported shortage.
4. Ministry of Power (PIB), 28 April 2026India has successfully met its all-time highest peak electricity demand of 256.1 GW on 25th April 2026 at 15:38hrs without any shortage, while simultaneously maintaining electricity exports to neighbouring countries. This milestone surpasses the previous all-time high of 250 GW recorded on 30th May 2024 and exceeds the peak of 245.4 GW observed on 09th January 2026 during the last financial year.

Worked out by us: 40 (270.82 GW (May 2026) minus 230.99 GW (May 2025) is 39.83 GW, rounded to about 40).

Questions people ask

What is India's highest ever peak power demand?

270.82 GW, met on 21 May 2026 (Ministry of Power data reported by Outlook Business).

What was the peak demand a year earlier?

230.99 GW in May 2025, so the May 2026 peak was higher by about 40 GW.

Was the peak met without a shortage?

The Ministry of Power said the 256.1 GW peak of 25 April 2026 was met without any shortage, and the power system met the July 2026 peaks without any reported shortage.

Read next

• How much solar power capacity does India have
• India's GDP growth
• Charging and grid balancing
• How much GST is collected in India each month?
• What is the RBI repo rate in India right now?
• How much foreign exchange reserves does India have?
• How many GST registered taxpayers are there in India?
• The exact prompt: copy-paste prompts for Indian PMs and founders
• All India numbers

This is a best guess, not an official statistic. We recheck it yearly. If you have a newer or better source, send it to us.