Thermal Power Plants in India: Quick Answer
The largest thermal power plant in India is the Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station in Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh, with an installed capacity of 4,760 MW — operated by NTPC, it is also among the largest coal-fired power stations in the world. The second-largest is the Mundra Thermal Power Station in Kutch, Gujarat (4,620 MW), owned by Adani Power, followed by the Mundra Ultra Mega Power Plant (4,000 MW) of Tata Power's Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd. As of 31 March 2026, India had 249,272 MW of fossil-fuel (thermal) capacity — coal 221,940 MW, lignite 6,620 MW, gas 20,122 MW and diesel 589 MW (CEA headline total; the four rounded components sum to 249,271 MW) — out of a total installed capacity of 532,740 MW (Central Electricity Authority). Thermal power still generates about three-quarters (75% in FY 2024-25) of India's electricity even though it is now under half of installed capacity. This note lists 40 major thermal power plants state-wise, as of 7 November 2026.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Largest thermal plant = Vindhyachal, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh (4,760 MW, NTPC). Largest private thermal plant = Mundra, Gujarat (4,620 MW, Adani Power). Largest thermal company = NTPC — 27 coal-based stations, 54,750 MW owned capacity (NTPC, 6 Nov 2026). Total thermal capacity 249,272 MW as on 31 March 2026 (CEA). Coal = 221,940 MW, the single largest source of installed capacity in India. Thermal = coal + lignite + gas + diesel.
What Counts as a Thermal Power Plant
A thermal power plant generates electricity from heat — in India that means burning coal, lignite or gas (a small diesel fleet exists too). Coal dominates: about 89% of India's thermal capacity is coal-based. A "super thermal power station" is simply a large coal plant, generally 1,000 MW and above; the term has no separate legal definition, but exams use it for NTPC's big stations. "Ultra Mega Power Project" (UMPP) is a specific Government of India scheme from 2005–06 for ~4,000 MW pit-head or coastal plants awarded through competitive bidding — Mundra UMPP (Tata Power) and Sasan UMPP (Reliance Power) are the two operating UMPPs, and both appear in this note's top five.
Do not confuse installed capacity with generation. Installed capacity is the maximum a plant can produce; generation depends on the plant load factor, coal supply and demand. That is why thermal is under half of installed capacity (46.8%) yet supplies about 75% of the electricity actually generated (FY 2024-25) — coal plants run far more hours than solar or wind plants.
Latest: New Capacity in 2026
| Development | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Yadadri Thermal Power Station, Unit 3 (800 MW) commissioned | 13 May 2026 | Telangana state plant (TGGENCO); 5 × 800 MW = 4,000 MW planned in total; 3,200 MW (Units 1–4) in commercial operation, Unit 5 synchronised 21 Oct 2026 |
| Patratu Thermal Power Station, Unit 2 (800 MW) commissioned | 11 May 2026 | PVUNL (NTPC–Jharkhand JV), Patratu, Jharkhand; plant now 1,600 MW operating (2 × 800 MW). CEA records commissioning on 11 May 2026; commercial operation from 25 June 2026 |
| Total installed capacity crosses 560 GW | October 2026 | National Power Portal: 560,545 MW; thermal 252,519 MW (reported, not CEA-published) |
| CEA all-India installed capacity | 31 March 2026 | 532,740 MW total; fossil fuel 249,272 MW (46.79%); non-fossil 283,468 MW (53.21%) |
| Thermal capacity added in FY 2025-26 | Up to 31 Jan 2026 | 8,810 MW of coal capacity added (Ministry of Power, Lok Sabha reply) |
The Yadadri and Patratu commissionings are the two newest large thermal units in service. Both are 800 MW supercritical units — the standard size for new Indian coal plants. The 560 GW figure from October 2026 comes from the National Power Portal as reported in the press; the CEA's published 31 March 2026 total of 532,740 MW is the firmer, dated anchor used for the headline figures in this note.
Thermal Power Plants in India: Complete List (40 Major Plants)
One table, 40 plants of 1,000 MW and above, sorted by capacity. Capacities are installed MW as commonly cited. NTPC's own coal-stations page (updated 6 November 2026) gives 27 coal stations totalling 54,750 MW owned capacity; including joint ventures and subsidiaries, NTPC's coal capacity is 67,364 MW (the 62,197 MW figure in some older guides is stale). Three things to read the table right: Nabinagar's expansion to 4,380 MW is planned, not operational — the table gives its operating 1,980 MW (NPGCL plant; the separate BRBCL plant at the same place is 1,000 MW); Chandrapur's nameplate is 3,340 MW (2,920 MW operating after Units 1–2 retired in 2016) and Koradi's operating capacity is 2,190 MW (nameplate 2,490 MW including retired units); and the cut-off is 1,600 MW — five more plants sit at exactly 1,600 MW (Gadarwara, Lara, Sagardighi, Yermarus and NTPC Telangana) and are left out only because the table is capped at 40.
| # | Plant | Location, State | Capacity (MW) | Operator | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vindhyachal STPS | Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh | 4,760 | NTPC | Coal |
| 2 | Mundra TPS | Kutch, Gujarat | 4,620 | Adani Power | Coal |
| 3 | Mundra UMPP (CGPL) | Kutch, Gujarat | 4,000 | Tata Power | Coal |
| 4 | Sasan UMPP | Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh | 3,960 | Reliance Power | Coal |
| 5 | Tamnar TPS | Raigarh, Chhattisgarh | 3,400 | Jindal Power | Coal |
| 6 | Chandrapur STPS | Chandrapur, Maharashtra | 3,340 | MAHAGENCO | Coal |
| 7 | Barh STPS | Patna, Bihar | 3,300 | NTPC | Coal |
| 8 | Tiroda TPS | Gondia, Maharashtra | 3,300 | Adani Power | Coal |
| 9 | Yadadri TPS | Nalgonda, Telangana | 3,200 | TGGENCO | Coal |
| 10 | Talcher STPS (Kaniha) | Angul, Odisha | 3,000 | NTPC | Coal |
| 11 | Rihand STPS | Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh | 3,000 | NTPC | Coal |
| 12 | Sipat STPS | Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh | 2,980 | NTPC | Coal |
| 13 | Dadri (NCPS) | Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh | 2,670 | NTPC | Coal + Gas |
| 14 | Anpara TPS | Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh | 2,630 | UPRVUNL | Coal |
| 15 | Korba STPS | Korba, Chhattisgarh | 2,600 | NTPC | Coal |
| 16 | Ramagundam STPS | Peddapalli, Telangana | 2,600 | NTPC | Coal |
| 17 | Shree Singaji TPS | Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh | 2,520 | MPPGCL | Coal |
| 18 | Neyveli TPS | Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu | 2,490 | NLC India | Lignite |
| 19 | Jharsuguda TPS | Jharsuguda, Odisha | 2,400 | Vedanta | Coal |
| 20 | Kudgi STPS | Vijayapura, Karnataka | 2,400 | NTPC | Coal |
| 21 | Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah TPS | Nellore, Andhra Pradesh | 2,400 | APGENCO | Coal |
| 22 | Kahalgaon STPS | Bhagalpur, Bihar | 2,340 | NTPC | Coal |
| 23 | Mejia TPS | Bankura, West Bengal | 2,340 | DVC | Coal |
| 24 | Chhabra TPS | Baran, Rajasthan | 2,320 | RRVUNL | Coal |
| 25 | Mouda STPS | Nagpur, Maharashtra | 2,320 | NTPC | Coal |
| 26 | Koradi TPS | Nagpur, Maharashtra | 2,190 | MAHAGENCO | Coal |
| 27 | Farakka STPS | Murshidabad, West Bengal | 2,100 | NTPC | Coal |
| 28 | Simhadri STPS | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | 2,000 | NTPC | Coal |
| 29 | Singrauli STPS | Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh | 2,000 | NTPC | Coal |
| 30 | Nabinagar STPP (NPGCL) | Aurangabad, Bihar | 1,980 | NTPC JV | Coal |
| 31 | North Karanpura STPS | Chatra, Jharkhand | 1,980 | NTPC | Coal |
| 32 | Talwandi Sabo TPS | Mansa, Punjab | 1,980 | TSPL (Vedanta) | Coal |
| 33 | North Chennai TPS | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 1,830 | TANGEDCO | Coal |
| 34 | Kothagudem TPS | Bhadradri, Telangana | 1,800 | TSGENCO | Coal |
| 35 | KSK Mahanadi TPS | Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh | 1,800 | JSW Energy | Coal |
| 36 | Raichur TPS | Raichur, Karnataka | 1,720 | KPCL | Coal |
| 37 | Bellary TPS | Ballari, Karnataka | 1,700 | KPCL | Coal |
| 38 | Darlipali STPS | Sundargarh, Odisha | 1,600 | NTPC | Coal |
| 39 | Godda TPS | Godda, Jharkhand | 1,600 | Adani Power | Coal |
| 40 | Patratu STPS | Ramgarh, Jharkhand | 1,600 | PVUNL (NTPC JV) | Coal |
State anchors — one plant per state to remember
| State | Anchor plant | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | Vindhyachal (4,760 MW) | India's largest thermal plant; Singrauli is the "energy capital" belt |
| Gujarat | Mundra (4,620 MW) | India's largest private thermal plant; Adani Power |
| Bihar | Barh (3,300 MW) | NTPC's largest station in eastern India |
| Maharashtra | Chandrapur (3,340 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Maharashtra; Tiroda (3,300 MW) is the largest private plant |
| Chhattisgarh | Tamnar (3,400 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Chhattisgarh (Jindal Power, Raigarh); Korba district is still called the "power capital of Chhattisgarh" |
| Odisha | Talcher (3,000 MW) | NTPC's largest in Odisha; coal belt of Angul–Jharsuguda |
| Uttar Pradesh | Rihand (3,000 MW) | Largest NTPC station in UP; Sonbhadra is UP's power hub |
| Telangana | Yadadri (3,200 MW) | Largest power station in South India; Ramagundam (2,600 MW) held the title until January 2026 |
| Tamil Nadu | Neyveli (2,490 MW) | India's largest lignite-based plant; NLC India |
| Karnataka | Kudgi (2,400 MW) | NTPC's first 800 MW supercritical plant; NTPC's only station in Karnataka |
| West Bengal | Mejia (2,340 MW) | Largest DVC plant |
| Rajasthan | Chhabra (2,320 MW) | Largest state-utility plant in Rajasthan |
| Punjab | Talwandi Sabo (1,980 MW) | Largest private plant in Punjab |
| Andhra Pradesh | Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah (2,400 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Andhra Pradesh, near Krishnapatnam, Nellore |
| Jharkhand | North Karanpura (1,980 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Jharkhand (NTPC); Godda (1,600 MW) is India's first transnational plant — all its power goes to Bangladesh |
| Haryana | Rajiv Gandhi TPS, Hisar (1,200 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Haryana (HPGCL, Khedar, Hisar) |
| Kerala | Kayamkulam (360 MW) | Kerala's only thermal plant; NTPC gas/naphtha plant in Alappuzha |
| Tripura | Palatana (726 MW) | Largest gas plant in the North-East; run by ONGC Tripura Power Company |
| Delhi | Pragati-III, Bawana (1,500 MW) | Delhi's largest thermal plant; gas-based, Pragati Power Corporation |
| Assam | Bongaigaon (750 MW) | Largest thermal plant in Assam (NTPC, 3 × 250 MW) |
Gas and Lignite: the Other Thermal Fuels
Coal is not the whole thermal story. Gas-based capacity was 20,122 MW as on 31 March 2026, and lignite 6,620 MW. The largest gas-based capacity sits in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, but the single most-asked gas plant is NTPC Dadri's gas section (830 MW) — already counted inside the Dadri row above, which is why Dadri's 2,670 MW looks odd next to pure-coal figures. Other gas plants exams ask about: Palatana (726 MW, Tripura) — the largest gas plant in the North-East, run by ONGC Tripura Power Company; Jhanor-Gandhar (657 MW, Gujarat); and Kayamkulam (360 MW, Kerala), the naphtha/gas plant of NTPC in Alappuzha district. Older lists give the original nameplates — Jhanor-Gandhar 648 MW, Kayamkulam 350 MW, Dadri gas 817 MW — but NTPC's current pages (6 Nov 2026) list the uprated figures used here. Lignite is almost entirely a Tamil Nadu–Gujarat story: Neyveli (2,490 MW) in Tamil Nadu and the Surat Lignite / Mangrol plants of GIPCL in Gujarat. If a question says "lignite-based thermal power station", the answer is almost always Neyveli.
Thermal Power in India: Records and Unique Facts
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| Largest thermal power plant in India | Vindhyachal STPS, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh (4,760 MW, NTPC) |
| Largest private thermal power plant | Mundra TPS, Kutch, Gujarat (4,620 MW, Adani Power) |
| Largest thermal power company | NTPC Ltd — 27 coal stations, 54,750 MW owned capacity |
| Largest lignite-based plant | Neyveli TPS, Tamil Nadu (2,490 MW, NLC India) |
| Largest power station in South India | Yadadri TPS, Telangana (3,200 MW operating, 4,000 MW planned, TGGENCO) |
| Largest UMPP (operating) | Mundra UMPP, Gujarat (4,000 MW, Tata Power) |
| First ISO 14001-certified super thermal station | Ramagundam STPS |
| Total thermal (fossil) capacity, 31 Mar 2026 | 249,272 MW — 46.79% of 532,740 MW total |
| Coal capacity, 31 Mar 2026 | 221,940 MW (41.66% of total installed capacity) |
| Thermal share of electricity generated | About 75% (FY 2024-25; ~72% projected for FY 2025-26) |
One-line facts that are asked in exams
- Vindhyachal has 13 units and was built in stages from 1987; its last unit was commissioned in 2015. Some older lists give 4,260 MW — that was the capacity before the final 500 MW unit; the current figure is 4,760 MW.
- Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh hosts Vindhyachal (4,760 MW) and Sasan UMPP (3,960 MW) — two of India's top four plants in one district.
- Mundra appears twice in the top three: Adani's 4,620 MW plant and Tata Power's 4,000 MW UMPP are separate plants in the same Kutch location — a classic trap.
- NTPC was incorporated in 1975 as the National Thermal Power Corporation; it is a Maharatna CPSE and India's largest power generator overall.
- Sasan UMPP is India's largest integrated power-and-coal-mine project, with a captive coal mine of 20 million tonnes a year.
- Korba district in Chhattisgarh is called the "power capital of Chhattisgarh" — it hosts NTPC Korba (2,600 MW) and several state and private plants.
- Talcher (3,000 MW) and Rihand (3,000 MW) tie at third among NTPC stations after Vindhyachal (4,760 MW) and Barh (3,300 MW); Sipat (2,980 MW) is fourth.
- Neyveli burns lignite mined on site by NLC India; lignite is brown coal with high moisture, so these plants sit next to the mines.
- Barh (3,300 MW) in Bihar was built in stages with Russian collaboration for its first units.
- Dadri is the only plant in the top 15 that mixes coal (1,840 MW) and gas (830 MW) on one site.
- Tamnar (3,400 MW) in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh — Jindal Power's plant (4 × 250 MW + 4 × 600 MW) — is India's fifth-largest thermal plant and Chhattisgarh's largest.
- Yadadri (3,200 MW) overtook Ramagundam (2,600 MW) as South India's largest power station when its fourth 800 MW unit entered commercial operation in January 2026.
Common Mistakes in Thermal Power Questions
- Mundra vs Mundra UMPP: two different plants in Kutch, Gujarat — Adani's 4,620 MW plant and Tata Power's 4,000 MW UMPP. Do not merge them into one 8,620 MW plant.
- Vindhyachal 4,260 MW vs 4,760 MW: older lists show 4,260 MW; the current installed capacity after the 2015 unit is 4,760 MW. Use 4,760 MW.
- NTPC's 27 stations vs 62,197 MW: NTPC's own page lists 27 owned coal stations totalling 54,750 MW; adding joint ventures and subsidiaries takes the total to 67,364 MW. The 62,197 MW figure in some older guides is stale. For "NTPC owned coal capacity", use 54,750 MW.
- Thermal share of capacity vs generation: thermal is 46.8% of installed capacity but about 75% of generation (FY 2024-25) — the two numbers answer different questions.
- Ramagundam's state: Ramagundam is in Telangana (Peddapalli district), not Andhra Pradesh — it was in undivided Andhra Pradesh before June 2014, and old lists still say Andhra Pradesh.
- Nabinagar 4,380 MW: that is the planned total after expansion, not the operating capacity. Operating capacity is 1,980 MW (3 × 660 MW).
- "Largest power plant in India" vs "largest thermal plant": the answer is the same today (Vindhyachal), but the question usually means thermal — do not answer with a hydro or nuclear plant.
- Singrauli vs Sonbhadra: Vindhyachal is in Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh; Rihand and Singrauli STPS are in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh — two different states, confusingly similar names.
- Gas is thermal too: a question about "thermal capacity" includes gas (20,122 MW) and lignite (6,620 MW), not just coal.
- Sipat vs Sipat Stage-III: Sipat's 2,980 MW is 3 × 660 MW supercritical plus 2 × 500 MW — the supercritical units are the exam-relevant detail, not a separate plant.
How to Remember Thermal Power Plants in India (Study Method)
- Learn the top-5 ladder: 4,760 (Vindhyachal) → 4,620 (Mundra Adani) → 4,000 (Mundra UMPP) → 3,960 (Sasan) → 3,400 (Tamnar). "4760-4620-4000-3960-3400".
- Learn the Singrauli pair: Vindhyachal + Sasan are both in Singrauli, MP — the district with two top-four plants.
- Learn the Mundra pair: two plants, one place (Kutch, Gujarat) — Adani 4,620, Tata 4,000.
- Learn the NTPC 3,000 MW pair: Talcher (Odisha) and Rihand (UP) both sit at exactly 3,000 MW.
- Learn the state anchors: MP = biggest (Vindhyachal), Gujarat = biggest private (Mundra), Telangana = biggest in the south (Yadadri, 3,200 MW), Tamil Nadu = lignite (Neyveli).
Thermal Power Plants in India MCQs with Answers
Q1. Which is the largest thermal power plant in India? (a) Mundra TPS (b) Vindhyachal STPS (c) Sasan UMPP (d) Talcher STPS Answer: (b) Vindhyachal STPS, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh (4,760 MW).
Q2. The Mundra Thermal Power Station (4,620 MW) is owned by which company? (a) Tata Power (b) NTPC (c) Adani Power (d) Reliance Power Answer: (c) Adani Power.
Q3. What was India's total fossil-fuel (thermal) installed capacity as on 31 March 2026? (a) 221,940 MW (b) 249,272 MW (c) 283,468 MW (d) 532,740 MW Answer: (b) 249,272 MW (coal 221,940 + lignite 6,620 + gas 20,122 + diesel 589 = 249,271; CEA headline total 249,272 MW — the 1 MW gap is rounding in CEA's own table).
Q4. Which company operates the largest number of coal-based power stations in India? (a) Adani Power (b) Tata Power (c) NTPC (d) Damodar Valley Corporation Answer: (c) NTPC — 27 coal-based stations.
Q5. The Sasan Ultra Mega Power Plant is located in which district? (a) Sonbhadra (b) Singrauli (c) Angul (d) Kutch Answer: (b) Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh.
Q6. Which is India's largest lignite-based thermal power plant? (a) Neyveli TPS (b) Ramagundam STPS (c) Surat Lignite TPS (d) Barsingsar TPS Answer: (a) Neyveli TPS, Tamil Nadu (2,490 MW).
Q7. Ramagundam Super Thermal Power Station is located in which state? (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Telangana (c) Odisha (d) Chhattisgarh Answer: (b) Telangana (Peddapalli district).
Q8. What is the installed capacity of the Talcher Super Thermal Power Station? (a) 2,600 MW (b) 2,980 MW (c) 3,000 MW (d) 3,300 MW Answer: (c) 3,000 MW.
Q9. Which of the following is an Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP)? (a) Korba STPS (b) Mundra UMPP (c) Sipat STPS (d) Dadri NCPS Answer: (b) Mundra UMPP (4,000 MW, Tata Power).
Q10. Approximately what share of India's electricity generation comes from thermal sources? (a) About 30% (b) About 47% (c) About 75% (d) About 90% Answer: (c) About 75% in FY 2024-25 (thermal is 46.8% of installed capacity but ~75% of generation; ~72% projected for FY 2025-26).
Thermal Power Plants in India FAQs
Which is the largest thermal power plant in India?
The Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh (4,760 MW), operated by NTPC.
How much thermal power capacity does India have?
249,272 MW of fossil-fuel capacity as on 31 March 2026 (CEA) — coal 221,940 MW, lignite 6,620 MW, gas 20,122 MW and diesel 589 MW (CEA headline total; the four rounded components sum to 249,271 MW) — out of 532,740 MW total installed capacity.
Which is the largest private thermal power plant in India?
Mundra Thermal Power Station in Kutch, Gujarat (4,620 MW), owned by Adani Power.
How many coal-based power stations does NTPC operate?
27 coal-based stations with 54,750 MW of owned capacity (NTPC, 6 November 2026).
Which is the largest thermal power plant in South India?
Yadadri TPS in Nalgonda district, Telangana (3,200 MW operating, 4,000 MW planned), operated by TGGENCO. Ramagundam (2,600 MW) held the title until Yadadri's fourth unit entered commercial operation in January 2026.
What is the difference between a super thermal power station and a UMPP?
A super thermal power station is a large coal plant (generally 1,000 MW+); a UMPP is a specific Government of India scheme for ~4,000 MW plants awarded by competitive bidding — only Mundra and Sasan UMPPs are operating.
Why does thermal power generate ~75% of electricity but hold only ~47% of capacity?
Because coal plants run many more hours a year than solar or wind plants, which are intermittent. Installed capacity and actual generation are different measures.
Related topics: revise Nuclear Power Plants in India List, Major Dams of India for Govt Exams, Mineral Producing States in India, States and Capitals of India 2026 and Static GK for SSC CGL next. Also see Steel Plants in India: State-wise List, Largest, Public vs Private (2026).
Practice Next
- Test yourself: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01
- More GA practice: RRB NTPC GK Mock Test 03
- Energy notes: List of Governors and Chief Ministers of Indian States 2026 and Major Ports in India List
- More lists: National Waterways in India List
- More free notes: All Study Notes
Sources: Central Electricity Authority, all-India installed capacity as on 31.03.2026 (cea.nic.in); Ministry of Power via PIB, power generation capacity as on 31.01.2026 and FY 2025-26 additions; NTPC Ltd, coal stations and gas stations pages updated 06/11/2026 (ntpc.co.in); CRISIL Ratings, thermal share of generation (Jan 2026); MoEF&CC, Nabinagar Stage-II environmental clearance, 28 Feb 2025; JSW Energy, KSK Mahanadi acquisition (Mar 2025); Adani Group, Godda commissioning (Jul 2023); Anvi Notes, Thermal Power Projects in India (Aug 2026). Capacity conflicts recorded in the notes above are from these sources. As of 7 November 2026.