India’s Renewable Power Is Progressing, However The World Is not Paying Consideration (Half 1)

Editorial Team
13 Min Read



Assist CleanTechnica’s work via a Substack subscription or on Stripe.


Right here is the reality the remainder of the world isn’t paying an excessive amount of consideration to: India has emerged as a renewable vitality powerhouse, reworking from a coal-dependent economic system to turning into the world’s third-largest renewable vitality producer in lower than a decade. This outstanding transition showcases how growing nations can efficiently stability fast financial development with sustainable vitality growth.

Report-Breaking Development Trajectory

The numbers inform a narrative of unprecedented enlargement. India’s renewable vitality capability has reached 203.18 GW as of October 2024, representing 46.3% of the nation’s whole put in capability of 452.69 GW. This achievement positions India forward of many developed nations in renewable vitality deployment and demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale clear vitality transitions in rising economies.

The photo voltaic sector has been the crown jewel of this transformation. From a modest 9.01 GW in March 2016, India’s photo voltaic capability skyrocketed to 97.86 GW by January 2025 — a rare 10-fold improve in simply 9 years. This development trajectory has established India as a world photo voltaic manufacturing and deployment hub, driving down prices worldwide via economies of scale.

Diversified Renewable Portfolio

Whereas photo voltaic enlargement captures headlines, India’s renewable technique extends far past photovoltaics. Wind energy blows powerfully into the vitality combine, with current peak era reaching 28,974 MW in January 2025. The federal government has dedicated to issuing bids for not less than 10 GW of wind capability yearly from 2023-24 to 2027-28, making certain continued diversification.

India ranks fifth globally in hydroelectric energy capability, with each large-scale initiatives and distributed small hydro installations contributing to the renewable portfolio. The nation can also be exploring cutting-edge applied sciences, together with a current partnership between Eco Wave Energy and Bharat Petroleum to develop India’s estimated 40,000 MW wave vitality potential.

Infrastructure Innovation at Scale

The infrastructure growth supporting this development has been equally spectacular. India now operates 58 photo voltaic parks with a mixed sanctioned capability of 40 GW, creating renewable vitality clusters that optimize land use and transmission effectivity. This systematic method to large-scale deployment has turn into a mannequin for different growing nations.

Current momentum has accelerated even additional. In fiscal yr 2025, India added 25 GW of renewable capability — a 35% improve over the earlier yr’s 18.57 GW addition. This acceleration demonstrates the maturation of India’s renewable vitality ecosystem, from manufacturing and financing to mission growth and grid integration.

There are additionally initiatives achieved by partnerships from overseas investments. One instance is the ACEN Masaya Photo voltaic Facility.

ACEN is a part of the Philippine’s Ayala Group’s vitality platform, a 420 MWp photo voltaic farm situated in Madhya Pradesh and since 2024 has been producing a most of about 690 GWh of unpolluted vitality yearly, stopping over 635,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.

This mission created about 500 jobs, and is a partnership between ACEN and UPC Photo voltaic Asia Pacific financed by a 20-year mortgage from the State Financial institution of India. The $220 million mission is now promoting energy to the Photo voltaic Power Company of India underneath a long-term settlement.

The ACEN and UPC Photo voltaic Asia Pacific Masaya Photo voltaic Farm. (Picture from ACEN)

Local weather Management & World Impression

India’s renewable achievements prolong past home advantages to international local weather motion. The nation has decreased its carbon depth by 7% via FY24 whereas attaining 50% renewable vitality in its grid 5 years forward of goal. This efficiency exemplifies how rising economies can decouple financial development from carbon emissions.

The transformation has positioned India as a reputable chief in worldwide local weather boards. With present renewable capability at roughly 209 GW by December 2024, the nation is well-positioned to attain its formidable 2030 goal of 500 GW from non-fossil gas sources, although vital challenges stay.

Past environmental advantages, India’s renewable transition has generated substantial financial benefits. The sector has created hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout manufacturing, set up, and upkeep, whereas decreasing dependence on fossil gas imports. Wind energy’s distinctive attribute of producing almost 60% of its output throughout nighttime hours enhances photo voltaic era patterns, offering pricing benefits similar to saved solar energy.

India’s renewable vitality journey since 2016 represents probably the most profitable large-scale vitality transitions in fashionable historical past. By combining formidable coverage targets with systematic infrastructure growth and technological innovation, India has demonstrated that growing nations can lead international clear vitality adoption whereas sustaining sturdy financial development. Because the nation continues towards its 2030 targets, its expertise offers a invaluable blueprint for sustainable growth worldwide.

 India’s Photo voltaic Power Growth

India has a cumulative solar energy capability of 119.02 GW as of July 2025, with ground-mounted photo voltaic vegetation, grid-connected rooftop techniques, hybrid initiatives, and off-grid installations contributing to this whole. The nation possesses vital photo voltaic potential, receiving ample photo voltaic radiation all year long. India goals to turn into a world chief in photo voltaic vitality, pushed by the Nationwide Photo voltaic Mission (NSM) launched in 2010 and supported by authorities initiatives just like the PM-KUSUM Scheme and the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

India’s renewable vitality journey was constructed on photo voltaic (Picture from the UN)

On the coronary heart of India’s photo voltaic revolution are two main authorities schemes managed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Power (MNRE). The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in early 2024, goals to equip a outstanding 10 million households with rooftop photo voltaic techniques. In accordance with press releases from India’s official Press Data Bureau (PIB), this program is anticipated so as to add 30 GW of photo voltaic capability to the residential sector, offering households with free or low-cost electrical energy. A key element of this initiative, which has a complete outlay of roughly $96 million, is the event of a “Mannequin Photo voltaic Village” in each district, the place every chosen village receives round $1.2 million in central monetary help.

The PM-KUSUM Scheme is a program particularly focusing on the agricultural sector that was prolonged till March 2026. This scheme, as famous by the EnergyMonitor.ai publication in April 2025, goals to enhance farmers’ earnings and cut back their dependence on diesel pumps by offering monetary help for the set up of 10,000 MW of decentralized solar energy vegetation, 1.5 million standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps, and the solarization of three.5 million grid-connected pumps.

Past residential and agricultural use, India’s technique additionally consists of fostering a strong photo voltaic ecosystem via large-scale initiatives and home manufacturing. The Photo voltaic Parks Scheme, facilitated by the MNRE, promotes huge grid-connected solar energy initiatives by offering important infrastructure like land, energy evacuation services, and street entry. In accordance with current PIB and MNRE reviews, as of March 31, 2025, 55 photo voltaic parks with a mixed capability of almost 40 GW have been permitted throughout 13 states, with over 12.8 GW already commissioned in 24 parks.

Combating Extreme Photo voltaic Price

To scale back import dependency, the Indian authorities additionally launched the Manufacturing Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Excessive-Effectivity Photo voltaic PV Modules, a program with a funds of roughly $2.88 billion. This scheme, as reported by EnergyMonitor.ai, goals to spice up home manufacturing, and Letters of Award have already been issued for organising 48.3 GW of latest manufacturing capability.

India’s push for photo voltaic is mirrored in a few of the world’s most formidable initiatives. Blackridge Analysis highlighted a number of of those in its April 2025 report on upcoming renewable vitality initiatives. One such mission is the monumental Khavda Renewable Power Park within the Kutch district of Gujarat. This 30 GW photo voltaic and wind hybrid mission is ready to turn into the world’s largest renewable vitality park, with 2 GW of capability already operational as of early 2025. Within the high-altitude area of Ladakh, one other landmark mission is underway: a 13 GW solar energy plant with a battery vitality storage system (BESS). Anticipated to be accomplished by 2030, this initiative consists of in depth transmission infrastructure to satisfy the vitality wants of the Union Territory.

Summarizing Photo voltaic Capability & Composition

Whole cumulative solar energy capability as of July 2025          119.02 GW
Floor-mounted photo voltaic vegetation                                                      90.99 GW
Grid-connected rooftop photo voltaic techniques                                        19.88 GW
Hybrid initiatives (photo voltaic element)                                               3.06 GW
Off-grid photo voltaic installations                                                              5.09 GW


Join CleanTechnica’s Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott’s in-depth analyses and excessive degree summaries, join our each day e-newsletter, and comply with us on Google Information!


Commercial



 


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Wish to promote? Wish to counsel a visitor for our CleanTech Discuss podcast? Contact us right here.


Join our each day e-newsletter for 15 new cleantech tales a day. Or join our weekly one on prime tales of the week if each day is just too frequent.


CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage right here.

CleanTechnica’s Remark Coverage




Share This Article