Why India's power demand dropped this Diwali
This Diwali, India broke its usual pattern—power demand actually dropped instead of spiking, even as festival shopping soared.
On Monday, peak electricity use fell to 180.14GW, down from 182.87GW last year, and total consumption slipped too.
The next day saw an even lower peak at 176.50GW.
Split celebrations, lower demand
With Diwali celebrations split over two days—north India on Monday, other regions on Tuesday—the usual nationwide surge in electricity just didn't happen.
Most states saw a dip in power consumption.
Shift in energy use patterns
Even with less power used, Diwali 2025 trade hit an all-time high of ₹6.05 lakh crore—a 25% jump—thanks to GST cuts and love for Indian-made goods.
The shift signals changing festival habits, suggesting that policymakers might need to rethink how energy gets distributed during big events.