By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM|NHPC Limited, a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has achieved a landmark milestone with the declaration of the Commercial Operation Date of Unit No. 2 (250 MW) of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, located on the Arunachal Pradesh–Assam border. The unit commenced commercial operations on 23 December 2025, marking a decisive step towards the commissioning of India’s largest hydropower project and reinforcing the country’s long-term commitment to clean and sustainable energy.

The commercial operation of the unit was inaugurated virtually on 23 December 2025 by Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, who described the achievement as a proud national milestone driven by sustained teamwork, engineering excellence and policy support. The occasion was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Power and NHPC, including Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), Mohd. Afzal, Joint Secretary (Hydro), Bhupender Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, NHPC, along with Uttam Lal, Director (Personnel), Sanjay Kumar Singh, Director (Projects), Suprakash Adhikari, Director (Technical), Mahesh Kumar Sharma, Director (Finance), and Santosh Kumar, Chief Vigilance Officer.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the project, Secretary (Power) Pankaj Agarwal underlined its critical role in strengthening power availability and grid stability in the North-East region, while emphasizing the need for timely commissioning of the remaining units. CMD Bhupender Gupta expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Power, the governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, former NHPC leadership, and the Subansiri project team for their continued support and perseverance through complex geological, environmental and logistical challenges. Rajendra Prasad, Executive Director and Head of the Subansiri Lower Project, reiterated the project team’s commitment to commissioning the remaining units as per the planned schedule.

With Unit No. 2 now operational, the project is moving towards early commissioning of three additional units of 250 MW each, followed by phased commissioning of the remaining four units during 2026–27. Once fully commissioned, the Subansiri Lower project will supply power to 16 states, provide free power to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and earmark 1,000 MW exclusively for the North-East region. NHPC has also invested around ₹155 crore in corporate social responsibility initiatives across the two states. With an installed capacity of 8,333 MW and 9,704 MW under construction, NHPC continues to consolidate its position as a 100 percent green energy company and a key pillar of India’s clean energy transition.