Representational image of a Suzlon wind mill near Jasdan, Gujarat
| Photo Credit: AP
Suzlon Energy, India’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, announced on Wednesday (December 4, 2025) that it will set up three new AI-enabled smart blade factories, two of which will come up in Gujarat and Karnataka, with the third location to be finalised shortly. The expansion will take Suzlon’s nationwide manufacturing footprint to 20 facilities, strengthening its position as India accelerates towards its renewable energy targets.
The new plants mark a major push by the company to speed up execution of its 6.2 GW order book, reduce logistics time, and bring manufacturing closer to wind project hubs. According to the company’s press note, the factories will integrate automation, digital workflows, robotics, and advanced monitoring systems to boost productivity, improve quality, and enhance workplace safety. Suzlon will also upgrade all 15 existing factories with similar digital interventions under its new smart-factory programme.
Speaking to The Hindu, J.P. Chalasani, Group CEO, said Suzlon had planned an annual capex of around ₹550 crore over the next several years, portions of which will fund the new factories. He declined to specify the unit-wise investment, noting that costs would remain “dynamic” depending on order flows and the technology upgrades demanded by a fast-evolving global wind energy landscape.
Suzlon currently maintains one-third of India’s operational 50 GW wind fleet, giving it a deep servicing footprint across the country. The CEO said India’s wind sector was entering “its most promising growth phase” with less than 4% of India’s over 1 TW wind potential utilised so far—a figure echoed in Suzlon’s internal industry outlook presentation, which pegs the country’s technical wind capacity at 1,164 GW, concentrated across eight states.
India’s national target of achieving 100 GW of wind capacity by 2030 further underscores this momentum. Chalasani said the transition would require rapid scaling of domestic manufacturing: “We want to build for the next 30 years. Wind will have to grow much faster than before, and our smart factories are critical to meeting that demand.” The presentation highlights that India added only about 47 GW of wind capacity till FY24, but must more than double this stock within the decade.
On competition from global players, including Chinese manufacturer Envision, which recently secured a significant wind turbine supply contract in India, Chalasani sounded unfazed. He emphasised that Suzlon’s lifetime operation and maintenance (O&M) model—covering upgrades, site-specific adaptations, and localisation—offered “unmatched value” to customers. He added that the Centre’s proposed localisation policy, expected to require foreign OEMs to manufacture in India, would “level the playing field.”
Suzlon’s new factories are expected to generate 3,000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs, with roughly 80% in rural areas, Mr. Chalasani said. The company recently expanded its yearly manufacturing capacity from 3 GW to 4.5 GW, adding 1 GW through upgrades at Ratlam and Jaisalmer.
Describing the broader digital transformation, Chalasani said Suzlon is building a manufacturing ecosystem that is “simpler, smarter, and faster,” backed by six guiding principles—rapid, scalable, intelligent, connected, personalised, and technology-led.
“The opportunity is huge,” he said. “With India’s wind demand set to rise sharply, our job is to stay ahead of the curve.”
(The writer was in Puducherry at Suzlon’s invitation)
Published – December 04, 2025 02:44 pm IST
