New Delhi, July 8 -- India's peak power demand is expected to touch 300 GW in FY27, up from an estimated 272 GW this year, prompting the government to ask utilities to prepare for a sharp rise in electricity consumption driven by data centres, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.

Speaking at the 12th India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2026 on Wednesday, power minister Manohar Lal said the country had already recorded a peak demand of about 271 GW this year, while available generation capacity has risen to 284 GW.

"India's peak power demand is set to reach 300 gigawatts next year, driven by the rapid expansion of data centres, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles. According to estimates, we have already reached 271 GW a...