What happened
Ministry of Power approved 18-hour daily exports to Nepal Electricity Authority from 13 Sep to 31 Dec 2026, capped at 600 MW plus 54 MW over two cross-border lines.
India's Ministry of Power has approved expedited electricity exports to Nepal Electricity Authority for 18 hours each day, midnight to 6 pm, from September 13 to December 31, 2026.
Up to 600 MW will flow via the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV double-circuit line and 54 MW via the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV line — 654 MW combined, as reported by Business Today.
The approval follows the August 26 flash floods triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, which killed over 1,300 people in Nepal and swept away more than 12 hydropower plants.
About 550 MW of Nepali generation was damaged, cutting its exports to India by ~400 MW; the flood's total damage is pegged at USD 2.7 billion, with recovery needs near USD 4.7 billion per assessments.
Timeline
How the flood and power decision unfolded.
- 26 Aug 2026 — Ice-rock avalanche near Nepal-Tibet border triggers flash floods on Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi river
- 14 Sep 2026 — India's Ministry of Power approves 18-hour daily exports to Nepal till 31 Dec 2026
- Dec 2026 — Quantum for January 2027 onward to be reviewed
What is confirmed
The export window, capacity caps, and supply lines are officially confirmed by the Ministry of Power and corroborated by multiple outlets. Flood impact figures come from Nepali assessments cited by Business Today.
Why it matters for me
Nepal gets reliable daytime power through winter despite losing ~550 MW of hydropower, while winter import pattern starts months early.
Daily Life
General Public
Flood-hit households and businesses in Nepal get up to 18 hours of imported power daily through December, easing blackouts after ~550 MW of local hydropower was damaged.
Money
Business Executives · Policymakers
Approval flips the seasonal power trade — Nepal imports 654 MW from India through winter instead of exporting surplus hydropower, with quantum for January 2027 to be reviewed in December.
Work
Policymakers · Business Executives
India commits export capacity while its own peak demand exceeds 260 GW, testing grid management but reinforcing long-standing bilateral energy cooperation.
What to remember
654 MW, 18 hours a day, till Dec 31 — India's grid backs Nepal's flood recovery.
India to send 654 MW to Nepal 18 hrs/day till Dec 31 after floods knocked out 550 MW of hydropower.
Verified sources (4)
India approves expedited export of electricity to flood-hit Nepal
↗Export of Power to Nepal Approved
↗India to supply power to flood-hit Nepal for 18 hours a day till December end
↗India to export power to Nepal till Dec 31 after devastating flash floods
↗Claims and linked sources
8 claimsIndia's Ministry of Power approved export of electricity to Nepal Electricity Authority for 18 hours a day (midnight to 6:00 pm) from 13 September 2026 to 31 December 2026.
Under the approval India can export up to 600 MW via the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV double-circuit line and up to 54 MW via the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV single-circuit line; Business Today cites a combined cap of 654 MW.
The Ministry of Power said the quantum of power to be exported from January 2027 would be reviewed in December 2026.
Around 550 MW of power generation capacity is estimated to have been damaged in Nepal, and Nepal's electricity exports to India have fallen by about 400 MW since the floods.
The August 26 flash floods triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and more than 12 hydropower plants were swept away with roughly 900 power-station workers missing.
The approval inverts Nepal's normal seasonal pattern — Nepal usually imports from India from October onward and exports surplus hydropower to India in summer.
India imported 3,299 million units (MUs) of power from Nepal and exported 1,451 MUs to it in fiscal year 2025-26.
The decision was taken while India's own peak power demand remained above 260 GW in September and touched 269 GW on 10 September 2026.