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Patel Engineering has signed a deal with the government of Arunachal Pradesh to restore and develop the 144 MW Gongri Hydropower Project in West Kameng district, marking a major revival for a project that was earlier terminated.
The 144 MW Gongri Hydropower can generate enough electricity to power around 1–1.5 lakh average Indian homes at full capacity.
Breaking it down: Gongri is the first hydropower project to be restored under Arunachal Pradesh’s newly notified Hydropower Restoration Policy 2025, following state cabinet approval.
That makes it a test case for how stalled large hydro projects could return to life under the new framework.
Under the MoU, the company will manage the project end to end. This includes design and equipment sourcing to building the dam, installing turbines, and setting up transmission lines.
The numbers: the project is estimated to cost around ₹1,700 crore, with construction expected to take about four years. It will be developed on a Build–Own–Operate–Transfer (BOOT) basis with a 40-year lease period, after which the asset will be transferred to the state government.
Location significance: this project is significant because Arunachal Pradesh holds India’s largest untapped hydropower potential, yet many projects there have remained stalled due to terrain, logistics, and policy hurdles.
West Kameng sits in a high-rainfall, high-head river basin, making it naturally suited for efficient hydropower generation. By reviving a terminated project in this region, the state lowers entry risk for future developers while strengthening local infrastructure and power evacuation from a strategically important border state.
Big theme: India has an installed hydropower capacity of about 47 GW, but its economically exploitable potential is estimated at over 145 GW, meaning nearly two-thirds remains untapped.
With rising power demand, storage needs, and renewed policy support for stalled projects, hydropower is once again emerging as a strategic pillar in India’s long-term energy planning.
