Pralhad Joshi Asserts India Has Turned Energy Surplus in Past 12 Years

Tirupati:Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said India has emerged as an energy-surplus nation during the past 12 years of the NDA government being in office. He said Andhra Pradesh too has benefited from the substantial financial assistance and development projects extended by the centre.

Addressing a press conference in Tirupati as part of celebrations marking 12 years of the NDA government in office at the centre, Joshi said India has witnessed major growth across sectors under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country has successfully met a peak power demand of 280 GW on May 23 this year, compared to 123 GW before 2014.

The Union minister said India's total power generation capacity has reached 538 GW, with renewable energy accounting for about 33 per cent. He noted that the country has achieved 290 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and emerged as a leading nation in solar and wind energy.

Highlighting infrastructure development, Joshi said around 60,000 km of roads, including high-speed corridors, have been added across the country over the past 12 years. He said investments worth ₹1.69 lakh crore have been attracted under the Semicon India programme, while electronics manufacturing and mobile phone exports have recorded substantial growth.

Referring to social welfare indicators, the minister cited international studies indicating that multidimensional poverty in India has declined from 29.17 per cent in 2013–14 to 11.28 per cent, with more than 25 crore people moving out of poverty. He said various welfare schemes have improved the lives of millions across the country.

Joshi said Andhra Pradesh has been allocated ₹64,362 crore towards tax devolution in the 2026–27 Budget, compared to ₹ 56,373.56 crore in 2025-26. He said tax devolution to the state increased from ₹1.32 lakh crore during 2004–14 to ₹4.05 lakh crore between 2014 and June 2026, while grants-in-aid rose from ₹78,112 crore to ₹3.32 lakh crore during the same period.

The minister highlighted key road projects and 41 ongoing railway projects covering 5,329 km with an investment of ₹73,743 crore. He pointed out that the Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka, with an estimated investment of ₹1.85 lakh crore, and the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Tirupati district are expected to boost industrial growth and employment generation.

Earlier, Pralhad Joshi expressed condolences to families of those who died in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident and assured support. He released publications highlighting the achievements of the NDA government over the past 12 years.

Those present included state ministers Anagani Satya Prasad and Gottipati Ravi Kumar, apart from BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav.