The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited bids from developers to set up 1,200 MW of inter-state transmission system (ISTS) connected wind power projects anywhere in India under tariff-based competitive bidding. The tender, called SECI-Tranche-XXI, was issued on 7 October 2026 under RfS No. SECI/C&P/IPP/12/0011/26-27. Online bids are due by 18:00 on 16 November 2026, offline submissions follow on 18 November, and the techno-commercial bids will be opened on 19 November at 10:00. SECI amended the tender on 28 October 2026.
Winning developers will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SECI, which acts as an intermediary procurer and sells the power on to buying entities on a back-to-back basis. The projects will be built, owned and operated by the developers, and SECI has said that details of the buying entities will be intimated later.
How the selection will work
SECI will pick projects through e-bidding followed by an e-reverse auction. It is a single-stage, two-envelope process. The reverse auction date and time will be intimated by email to eligible bidders. The selection is technology agnostic, although the scheme is designed for wind power technology.
A bidder, together with its parent, affiliates and group companies, may submit only one bid. The bid must offer a minimum of 50 MW and a maximum of 600 MW, and the cumulative capacity that can be allocated to a bidder and its group is also capped at 600 MW.
The RfS is prepared under the Ministry of Power’s guidelines for tariff-based competitive bidding for grid-connected wind projects, issued by gazette resolution on 26 July 2023. Those guidelines apply to ISTS-connected bids of 50 MW and above.
Fees and financial requirements
Bidders must pay a non-refundable RfS document cost of Rs 50,000 plus GST. The bid processing fee is Rs 20,000 per MW plus GST for the quoted capacity, subject to a maximum of Rs 20 lakh plus GST. The earnest money deposit (EMD) is Rs 13,68,000 per MW, which can be submitted as a bank guarantee, a payment on order instrument or an insurance surety bond. A successful bidder must furnish a performance guarantee of Rs 34,20,000 per MW before signing the PPA. The net worth requirement is Rs 1,36,80,000 per MW. Bids stay valid for 12 months.
Land and grid connectivity are in the developer’s scope
Developers will have to identify their own land, install and own the project, and obtain connectivity and all approvals at their own cost. SECI has also made the developer responsible for the transmission network up to the interconnection point. Bidders may choose ISTS substations anywhere in the country, but the substation must fall within the options listed in the RfS: existing substations with available margin, substations where augmentation is under way or announced, or substations in the plan on the Central Transmission Utility’s website. The minimum voltage level for interconnection at the ISTS is 220 kV.
Supply schedule and generation commitments
The scheduled commencement of supply date for the full project capacity is 24 months from the effective date of the PPA. A delay of up to six months beyond that date is permitted, but it attracts a penalty in the form of encashment of the performance guarantee on a pro-rata basis. Beyond that window, the contracted capacity is reduced to the capacity that has started supplying power, and the PPA for the balance is terminated. Part commissioning is allowed, with the first part at least 50 MW for ISTS-connected projects and later parts of at least 10 MW each.
Bidders will declare the annual capacity utilisation factor (CUF) of their projects in the covering letter, and this cannot be lower than 25 percent. The developer must supply energy so that the annual CUF stays between 80 percent and 120 percent of the declared value over the 25-year term. Developers may install additional turbines beyond the contracted capacity, but power injected into the grid can never exceed the contracted capacity.
No central financial assistance is available under this tender.
Amendment-01 removes surplus-power sale clauses
Amendment-01, dated 28 October 2026, changes the standard PPA. It deletes Articles 6.1.6, 6.1.7 and 6.1.8. The deleted articles had covered the buying entity’s right to trade electricity without a separate licence, its right to sell surplus power from the contracted capacity to third parties or on a power exchange, and its scheduling rights. Bidders should read the amended document in full before quoting.
What it means for India’s clean-energy sector
Wind remains an important part of India’s plan to add non-fossil capacity. A 1,200 MW tranche that is open to projects anywhere in the country, and which does not tie developers to a single state, gives large wind developers a route to long-term contracts with a central intermediary. A 25-year PPA with SECI as the counterparty can help developers arrange financing.
The developer-led responsibility for land and connectivity, however, means execution risk stays with bidders. Developers will need to secure sites, grid access and turbines within 24 months of signing the PPA. Anyone planning to bid should check the official documents on the SECI website and the ISN-ETS portal for further amendments, since SECI has said no separate notifications will be published in the print media.
Official references
1. SECI tender page for SECI-Tranche-XXI
2. Request for Selection document, 1200 MW ISTS-connected wind (SECI-Tranche-XXI)
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