India's power consumption rises 1.9% in February
India's power use jumped 1.9% in February 2026, reaching 133 billion units, thanks to a mix of unseasonably warm weather and growing industry.
The country saw a peak demand of 244 GW, slightly above the summer peak of about 243 GW seen in June, but below an earlier January peak of around 245 GW, as people and factories cranked up the air conditioners and machines.
Manufacturing and unseasonal warmth drive demand
Northwest India faced temperatures 4 to 6 degrees Celsius above normal, with most regions also feeling the heat.
At the same time, manufacturing picked up speed (the PMI rose to 56.9), making industry responsible for about half of all electricity used.
IEX's record month
The Indian Energy Exchange had its busiest month ever: over 12.55 billion units were traded, a huge jump from last year.
With more supply in the market, prices actually dropped by nearly one-fifth for both day-ahead and real-time deals.
Even Renewable Energy Certificate trading saw a solid boost, showing how much India's energy scene is shifting right now.