The problem
India’s best wind sites in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat were developed first, many of them with small turbines of under 2 MW on low towers. Most of the remaining land has more moderate winds, and the stronger, steadier winds are found higher up. To make those sites profitable, turbines need longer blades and taller towers, but without becoming too heavy or expensive to transport on Indian roads.
Demand is also changing. Companies and state utilities increasingly want round-the-clock or “firm and dispatchable” renewable power, which combines wind with solar and storage. Wind is valuable here because it often blows in the evening and during the monsoon, when solar output falls. India needs turbines made at home, at a cost that can compete with very cheap solar.
The product
The S144 is built on Suzlon’s 3.x MW platform. Its 144 metre rotor sweeps 16,618 square metres, and it can be rated at 3.0 or 3.15 MW depending on site conditions. The blades use carbon-fibre girders to stay stiff without adding too much weight, and the turbine uses a proven doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). Suzlon says it delivers 40 to 43% more output than its earlier S120 model and one of the industry’s lowest lifecycle footprints at 6.17 grams of CO2 per kWh (Suzlon).
The prototype was installed at Gondal in Gujarat on a 160 metre hybrid lattice tubular tower, one of the tallest wind turbines in India. In November 2023 the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy added the S144 to its Revised List of Models and Manufacturers (RLMM), which developers need for projects in India (Business Standard).
How it works
- Capture: three long blades start turning in low wind speeds; the large rotor area is what makes moderate sites viable.
- Height: a hybrid tower, a steel lattice base topped by a tubular section, lifts the hub to 140 or 160 metres, where winds are stronger, while using less steel than a fully tubular tower of the same height.
- Conversion: a gearbox and DFIG generator convert rotation into electricity; only part of the power passes through the converter, which keeps costs down.
- Monitoring: predictive diagnostics track the condition of components to keep availability high.
- Delivery: Suzlon increasingly builds the whole project too, including land, substation, transmission line, commissioning and long-term operations and maintenance.
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2023 | S144 prototype installed at Gondal, Gujarat, on a 160 m tower |
| Nov 2023 | S144 added to MNRE’s RLMM list |
| Dec 2023 | Suzlon declares itself net debt free |
| FY26 | Suzlon delivers 2,456 MW; India adds a record 6,057 MW of wind |
| Jun 2026 | First order for the larger S175 (5 MW): 105 MW from Sunsure |
| Jul 2026 | Jaisalmer blade factory doubled to 1,260 MW a year |
| 8 Sep 2026 | Ayana order of 64 S144 turbines takes the model past 10 GW of orders |
Impact and numbers
- Orders: the Ayana Renewable Power order is for 64 S144 turbines of 3.15 MW each at Limbawas in Madhya Pradesh, with Suzlon handling everything from land to substation and long-term maintenance (Suzlon).
- Company results: Suzlon reported FY26 revenue of Rs 16,679 crore and net profit of Rs 3,163 crore on 2,456 MW of deliveries. In the first quarter of FY27 revenue grew 23% to Rs 3,819 crore, deliveries reached a first-quarter record of 506 MW, and the order book stood at about 6.1 GW (Suzlon).
- Manufacturing: the Jaisalmer blade plant was expanded from 630 MW to 1,260 MW a year with two new lines, employing more than 1,200 people, and can make both S144 and S175 blades.
- Country: India had 57,443 MW of wind capacity on 30 June 2026, generated 106 billion units from wind in FY26 and added a record 6,057 MW that year. GWEC ranks India fourth in the world for installed wind (PIB).
Honest caveats. Suzlon nearly collapsed in the 2010s after a debt-fuelled global expansion, and it went through two rounds of debt restructuring before it declared itself net debt free in December 2023 (Economic Times). Its recovery is impressive but recent. Deliveries also run well ahead of commissioning: in the first quarter of FY27 Suzlon delivered 506 MW but commissioned only 269 MW, because land, transmission and grid connections often hold projects back. Margins are under pressure, with EBITDA margin falling from 19.2% to 15.6% year on year, which Suzlon put down to logistics disruption, investments and project mix. The 6.17 g/kWh footprint and the 40 to 43% yield gain are company figures, and the claimed yield depends heavily on site. Finally, the S144 uses a DFIG design with a gearbox, which is proven but less advanced than the permanent-magnet machines some rivals sell, and Suzlon’s larger S175 will need to show it can compete with much bigger Chinese turbines.
What’s next
Suzlon is moving towards being a full renewable energy developer and project builder, under a strategy it calls Suzlon 2.0. The S175, a 5 MW turbine unveiled for India and Europe in 2026, has won its first order, and the S144 will remain the volume model. Execution of the 1.2 GW NTPC project in Gujarat and India’s repowering policy for old wind farms are the main near-term tests. Investors will also watch whether commissioning catches up with deliveries, since cash and customer satisfaction depend on turbines actually producing power, not on parts sitting at a site waiting for land or a grid connection.
Why it matters for Europe / green buyers
For European buyers and investors, the S144 shows that a large, non-Chinese turbine supply chain is growing in India, with factories for blades, nacelles and towers. As Europe looks to diversify components, Indian-made parts could become a real option. The S175’s planned European launch also puts Suzlon back into a market it left during its financial crisis.
For India, the S144 is the workhorse behind the country’s record wind year, helping to supply firm renewable power to industry and to cut reliance on coal. Its taller towers open up new states such as Madhya Pradesh, where Suzlon estimates over 55 GW of wind potential at 150 metres.
Sources & image credits
- Suzlon, “S144 3.x MW Platform” product page: https://www.suzlon.com/our-businesses/products/wind/3mw-platform/s144/
- Business Standard, “Suzlon’s S144-3 MW series of wind turbines get RLMM listing by MNRE”, 15 November 2023: https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/suzlon-s-s1443-mw-series-of-wind-turbines-get-rlmm-listing-by-mnre-123111501036_1.html
- Suzlon, “Suzlon wins its maiden 200 MW wind energy order from Ayana Renewable Power”, 8 September 2026: https://www.suzlon.com/media/press/press-releases/suzlon-wins-its-maiden-200-mw-wind-energy-order-from-ayana-renewable-power/
- Suzlon, “Suzlon begins FY27 strong with 23% YoY revenue growth and highest-ever Q1 deliveries”, 28 July 2026: https://www.suzlon.com/media/press/press-releases/suzlon-begins-fy-27-strong-with-23-yo-y-revenue-growth-and-highest-ever-q1-deliveries/
- Suzlon, Q1 FY27 investor presentation, 28 July 2026: https://www.suzlon.com/pdf/investor/financial-reports-presentations/2026-27/2026-07-28_SEL_Financial_Reports_Q1_FY27_Investor_Presentation_FY27.pdf
- Suzlon, stock exchange disclosure on the S175 order from Sunsure, 30 June 2026: https://www.suzlon.com/pdf/investor/shareholders-information/disclosures-to-stock-exchanges/2026-27/2026-06-30_SEL_Stock_Excahnge_Disclosure_S175-Sunsure-Order_FY27.pdf
- The Economic Times, “Suzlon is all renewed energy with a book full of orders and free of debt”, June 2024: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/suzlon-is-all-renewed-energy-with-a-book-full-of-orders-free-of-debt/articleshow/110747266.cms
- Press Information Bureau, “India’s Installed Wind Power Capacity Reaches 57,443 MW as on June 30, 2026”, 22 July 2026: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287725
Images:
- “Suzlon Wind Power Farm” by SuyogJoshiPhotography, 2016, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suzlon_Wind_Power_Farm.jpg
