Geothermal Energy in India: Potential and Policy Framework

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Key takeaways

India holds an estimated theoretical geothermal power capacity of 10.6 GW, with 381 hot springs mapped by the Geological Survey of India across 10 geothermal provinces.
The government notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025 under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to expand clean power production.
India commissioned its first two pilot geothermal wells in Puga Valley, Ladakh to harness subterranean thermal heat.
Global installed geothermal capacity reached 15.67 GW by 2025, with five leading nations controlling 67% of total output.

India is giving a strong push to develop geothermal energy across the country.
The government recently notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025 to guide this clean energy sector.
India also commissioned its first two pilot geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh to start practical energy extraction.

Geothermal energy is a renewable power source that extracts subterranean heat stored inside the Earth.
It supplies a continuous, low-carbon, and weather-proof energy source that reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.
Radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, and potassium inside the Earth generates this internal thermal energy.
Geological fractures allow underground heat to warm up water trapped inside permeable rocks, forming natural reservoirs.
Power plants drill deep wells to bring up hot water and steam, turn electricity turbines, and pump cooled water back underground.
Industries directly use subterranean thermal energy for greenhouse heating, fish farming, and space climate control.
Earth features four main layers: an inner core 2,400 km wide, a liquid outer core, a 2,900 km deep mantle, and an outer crust spanning 5-8 km under oceans and 24-56 km under land.
Internal temperatures climb sharply deeper down, reaching 3,700°C near the mantle and over 5,000°C in the core.

Worldwide geothermal capacity reached 15.67 GW by 2025, with five major countries commanding 67% of total production.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified 381 hot springs and classified 10 main geothermal regions.
India possesses a theoretical geothermal generation potential of roughly 10.6 GW, with 42 prime locations suited for power projects.
Important potential areas include the Himalayan Geothermal Province, SONATA zone, Cambay Graben, and the West Coast.
Modern techniques like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) help extract heat from deeper or less permeable rock structures.
Energy companies can also convert old or unproductive oil and gas wells into geothermal heat producers to save setup costs.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced the National Policy on Geothermal Energy, 2025 to expand green power choices.
The policy supports detailed exploration, deep drilling, technology testing, heat pumps, and a centralized national data center.
New rules invite private companies to invest in geothermal setups and re-use inactive oil wells.
The RE-RTD programme funds research institutions to design low-cost indigenous technologies for local energy needs.
India is actively collaborating with expert nations like Australia, Iceland, and Saudi Arabia to share technical knowledge.

Developing geothermal resources gives India a reliable round-the-clock green power choice to reach its Net Zero 2070 target.