Power Ministry phases HVDC local-content rules to 2035
HVDC bid teams must meet phased local-content floors
Change
India's Power Ministry revised High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substation procurement rules — phased Minimum Local Content floors replace the prior uniform 60% threshold, effective April 30.
Why it matters
HVDC Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and turnkey bids now follow four staged MLC thresholds: 30% until March 2028, rising to 60% from April 2032. Non-compliant bids are disqualified at tender evaluation — not flagged for correction.
Implications
- — HVDC EPC bid teams must price bids against the applicable MLC phase — non-compliant sourcing disqualifies the bid at tender evaluation.
- — Power procurement teams must reissue tender evaluation controls against the revised phase thresholds — tenders evaluated on old thresholds are non-compliant instruments.
- — HVDC equipment suppliers must map component sourcing before each phase gate — insufficient domestic content blocks bid eligibility at submission.
Who is affected
- — HVDC EPC and turnkey bid teams
- — Power-sector procurement teams
- — HVDC equipment suppliers
What to watch
- — Phase change: April 1, 2028 — MLC floor rises from 30% to 40%
- — Phase change: April 1, 2030 — MLC floor rises from 40% to 50%
- — Phase change: April 1, 2032 — MLC floor rises from 50% to 60%
- — Phase end: March 31, 2035 — 60% MLC phase closes