The country’s latest energy indicators reflect a sector balancing immediate security with long-term transition. While imported crude continues to underpin refinery operations and thermal power remains the backbone of electricity generation, robust solar additions and reliable peak-demand management highlight steady progress towards a more diversified, resilient and cleaner energy landscape.
Oil and Gas
Domestic crude production of 2.33 MMT in May 2026 covers only a fraction of what the country's refineries process, with refining throughput running at 22.048 MMT over the same month. That gap is bridged by imports at 24.428 MMT of crude and products, imports were more than six times domestic output, underscoring how import-dependent the refining sector continues to be. Product exports of 3.720 MMT leave net oil imports at roughly 20.7 million tonnes for the month, reinforcing the scale of that reliance. The Indian Basket crude price of $67.88 per barrel in July 2026 sits at a relatively moderate level, which should ease the import bill somewhat even as volumes stay high.
Power and Utilities
Total electricity generation reached 177.56 BU in May 2026, and thermal power still dominates the mix at 124.11 BU, or about 70 percent of the total. Renewables, including small hydro, contributed 34.57 BU, around 19 percent, ahead of large hydro at 12.75 BU (7 percent) and nuclear at 5.71 BU (3 percent), while a small 0.42 BU came from imports via Bhutan. The mix shows a grid still built around thermal baseload, with renewables now the clear second pillar.
Peak demand of 270,820 MW was met in full, with no shortfall recorded, pointing to adequate supply margins going into the month. On the capacity side, solar additions of 2,810.32 MW dwarfed wind additions of 370.45 MW, nearly eight times as much, showing that new renewable investment is heavily skewed toward solar.
