Photo by Chirayu Sharma
India and the United Kingdom launched the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce on 18 February, establishing a new bilateral working mechanism intended to provide strategic leadership for India’s nascent offshore wind sector. The event was attended by India’s Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron.
Constituted under the India-UK Vision 2035 framework and the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, the taskforce is designed to move beyond dialogue and deliver time-bound, measurable outcomes. Joshi described the initiative not merely as a taskforce but as a “trustforce”, saying: “This taskforce is actually a trustforce. It reflects the confidence that India and the United Kingdom can work together in solving real execution challenges… It must convert global lessons into solutions tailored to Indian conditions.”
David Lammy affirmed the UK’s commitment, stating: “The UK is the second-largest market for offshore wind in the world… This taskforce is important in catalysing these initial offshore wind projects in India.”
The taskforce will focus on three priority pillars: ecosystem planning and market design, including seabed leasing frameworks and revenue-certainty mechanisms for developers; infrastructure and supply chains, covering port modernisation, local manufacturing and specialised marine vessels; and financing and risk mitigation through blended finance structures and the mobilisation of long-term institutional capital.
India’s offshore wind potential is substantial, with the National Institute of Wind Energy having identified promising zones off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, with an estimated combined potential of around 71 GW. Transmission planning for an initial 10 GW of offshore evacuation capacity, 5 GW each off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, has already been completed. However, the sector has struggled to gain traction due to high capital intensity, the absence of mature domestic supply chains and a lack of bankable commercial structures.
To help bridge the gap, the Indian government has introduced a Viability Gap Funding scheme with a total outlay of ₹7,453 crore (approximately £710 million) to support early-stage projects, including port upgrades at two facilities to meet offshore logistics requirements.
Joshi acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead: “As we all know, offshore wind is among the most complex segments of the global energy transition. It demands specialised port infrastructure, marine logistics, robust seabed leasing frameworks, clear risk allocation and bankable commercial structures. That is why this Taskforce matters.”
The minister also highlighted the synergy between offshore wind development and India’s wider green hydrogen ambitions, noting that green hydrogen prices in India have fallen to a historic low of ₹279 per kg under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. India currently leads the Hydrogen Breakthrough Goal under the international Breakthrough Agenda and has over 272 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity. The country has set a target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070.
The launch also precedes COP30 in Brazil later this year, with offshore wind cooperation positioned as a central component of bilateral engagement as both countries prepare for broader economic negotiations, including a Free Trade Agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty.