Private Giants like Adani, Tata, Vedanta Reignite Interest in Coal-Fired Power After Five-Year Hiatus
India’s thermal power sector is witnessing a strong revival, with private players such as the Adani Group, Tata Power, Vedanta Group, JSW Energy, and Torrent Power making a decisive return after a five-year pause. The renewed activity comes in response to government projections estimating a requirement of at least 80 gigawatts (GW) of additional coal-fired power capacity by 2031–32. Even public sector undertakings (PSUs) are entering or expanding their footprint in the thermal segment. Coal India Ltd (CIL), historically not involved in power generation, announced on April 21 its plans to develop a 1,600 megawatt (MW) ultra-supercritical thermal plant in partnership with Damodar Valley Corporation in Jharkhand. This is in addition to earlier announced projects in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. The growing demand is also evident in the surging order book of state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), which designs and supplies thermal power plant equipment. Its outstanding power se...