At more than 14,000 feet above sea level, Puga Valley in Ladakh is now home to a project that could change how India thinks about renewable energy.
In July 2026, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena commissioned two 1,000-metre-deep geothermal wells at Puga. Drilled by the ONGC Energy Centre, the wells are part of a 1 MW pilot geothermal power project, which is expected to become India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal power project.
The wells have already recorded temperatures of up to 135 degrees Celsius at a depth of 400 metres, with further testing under way. The project is being developed in one of the country’s most difficult terrains, where extreme weather and a short working season make drilling particularly challenging.
But generating electricity is only one way to use the heat beneath our feet.
India has a tentative theoretical geothermal potential of around 10 GW, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal energy can provide heat and power continuously, without depending on sunlight or wind conditions.
So, what else could India do with this naturally occurring heat?
1. Heat homes and public buildings
In cold regions, keeping homes warm can require large amounts of energy. Geothermal heat could offer another way.
Drilled by the ONGC Energy Centre, the wells are part of a 1 MW pilot geothermal power project, which is expected to become India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal power project. Photograph: (Image generated by AI)
Hot water from underground reservoirs can be brought to the surface and used directly for heating. Geothermal systems can also provide heating and cooling through heat pumps.
This could be particularly useful in places such as Ladakh, where winters are severe, and heating is an essential part of everyday life.
The International Renewable Energy Agency lists district heating and geothermal heat pumps among the established direct uses of geothermal energy.
For a region trying to reduce its dependence on conventional fuels, using naturally available underground heat for buildings could mean less energy is spent keeping people warm.
2. Grow vegetables in greenhouses
India’s cold and high-altitude regions face a simple agricultural problem. The land may be suitable for growing certain crops, but the weather can make cultivation difficult for much of the year.
Geothermal heat could help change that.
Heat from underground reservoirs can be used to maintain greenhouse temperatures, allowing farmers to grow crops when outdoor conditions are too cold.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has highlighted geothermal heating for greenhouses as a way to reduce fuel costs and create opportunities for agricultural production. Research cited by the organisation has also found that geothermal greenhouse heating can reduce fungal infections.
In cold regions, keeping homes warm can require large amounts of energy. Geothermal heat could offer another way. Photograph: (Wikipedia)
For India, this could be relevant not only in Ladakh but also in other regions where geothermal resources coincide with cold climates and protected cultivation.
3. Dry crops and reduce food waste
Heat is also needed after crops leave the farm.
Drying fruits, vegetables, grains, and other agricultural produce is an important way to extend shelf life. But farmers and food processors normally depend on conventional fuels to generate the required heat.
Geothermal heat could provide an alternative wherever suitable resources are available.
The FAO has identified crop drying as one of the possible agricultural applications of geothermal energy, while IRENA notes that geothermal heat can be used for drying products in the agri-food sector.
For a country where reducing post-harvest losses remains important, using local geothermal heat for drying could connect renewable energy with farming in a very practical way.
4. Support industries that need heat
Not every use of energy requires electricity.
Many industries need heat directly for processes such as drying, washing, pasteurisation and other forms of processing. Where geothermal water is hot enough, it can potentially supply some of this heat without first being converted into electricity.
This is already being done in other parts of the world. IRENA documents geothermal heat being used for applications including milk pasteurisation, laundry operations and agricultural processing.
For India, this opens up an opportunity to think beyond geothermal power plants. A geothermal well could potentially supply useful heat to nearby businesses, depending on the temperature and characteristics of the resource.
5. Generate electricity around the clock
And then there is the use that Puga Valley is testing.
Geothermal reservoirs can contain hot water or steam deep underground. Wells allow this heat to be brought to the surface and used to generate electricity.
The advantage is that geothermal power does not have the same dependence on weather conditions as solar and wind.
That makes it particularly interesting for places where reliable power is difficult to supply or where renewable sources need to complement one another.
Hot water from underground reservoirs can be brought to the surface and used directly for heating. Photograph: (NDTV)
In Puga, the two wells will help with reservoir evaluation and planning for the proposed 1 MW pilot project. If the project proves successful, it could provide valuable information for developing geothermal resources elsewhere in India.
India’s geothermal resources are spread across several regions, and a 2025 Department of Science and Technology vision document specifically identified areas including Ladakh, the Sona Narmada Tapi belt, and western India’s hot spring regions as places where geothermal energy should be explored.
For now, Puga is an experiment.
But the significance of the project goes beyond two wells in a remote Himalayan valley. It is a chance to understand whether India can make better use of a source of energy that has been sitting beneath the country’s soil all along.
And if the answer is yes, the future of geothermal energy in India may not be limited to producing electricity. It could also help heat homes, grow food, dry crops, and power industries, bringing the country’s clean energy transition a little closer to the ground.
