India Saudi Arabia $9 Billion Power Link Talks on October 5

India and Saudi Arabia are set to discuss a proposed 2,100-km undersea power link on October 5, with a planned 3 GW HVDC capacity and an estimated project cost of about $9 billion.

India and Saudi Arabia are set to discuss a proposed undersea electricity transmission link at a high-level meeting on October 5, with the project estimated to cost around $9 billion. The proposed connection is expected to span approximately 2,100 km and have a transmission capacity of 3 GW through high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology.

The project’s detailed feasibility study, conducted by India over the past year, has been completed and is expected to be presented before the Joint Working Group on Energy. The group operates under the Economic and Investment pillar of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council and oversees bilateral cooperation in areas including electricity and grid interconnection.

Also Read: Home Renovation Trends and Material Choices across Urban India

Officials cited by Moneycontrol said the October 5 discussions will examine the project’s economic viability and possible measures to reduce its estimated cost. The current estimate is higher than the approximately $5 billion figure associated with the project when it was initially proposed.

The meeting is expected to involve the Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL), the Central Electricity Authority, senior officials from the power ministries of both countries and Saudi Arabia’s National Electricity Transmission Company. The discussions will focus on the technical and economic findings of the feasibility assessment and the next steps for the proposed connection.

India and Saudi Arabia have been working toward electricity grid interconnection since 2023. The two countries signed an energy cooperation agreement in September that year, followed by a specific memorandum of understanding on electrical interconnections in October 2023. In October 2024, CTUIL and Saudi Arabia’s National Electricity Transmission Company signed an agreement to undertake a formal feasibility study. CTUIL subsequently issued a tender for the detailed undersea-cable assessment in 2025.

The proposed power link is intended to enable cross-border electricity trading and strengthen energy security while supporting greater integration of renewable energy. It also aligns with India’s One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) vision for connecting electricity networks across regions to facilitate renewable power exchange.

India is separately exploring potential electricity interconnections with countries including the UAE, Oman, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. However, officials said the India-Saudi project has progressed further, having reached the detailed feasibility assessment stage.

Also Read: Why "Card in Minutes" is a Competitive Edge for Banks & Fintechs

The proposed connection is part of broader India-Saudi energy cooperation. The two countries have previously agreed to strengthen collaboration in electricity, renewable energy, grid connectivity, energy storage and grid security and resilience.