The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, highlighted India’s rapid advancement in non-fossil fuel capacity, placing the country among the top global producers of clean energy. Driven by structured policy interventions like the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, India’s cumulative installed non-fossil power capacity reached 283.46 GW, securing the third position globally in renewable energy capacity. This achievement is backed by a record annual addition of 55.3 GW of non-fossil capacity. Central to this transition is the comprehensive solarisation of over 53,000 government buildings, which has successfully added 855 MW of clean power to the grid.
National Transition Targets and Structural Progress
India reached a major energy milestone by securing over 50 percent of its cumulative installed electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources. This deployment fulfills its initial Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Capacities by Source
The structural division of the domestic clean energy matrix highlights the leading role of solar technologies.
- Solar Power: 150.26 GW, representing the fastest-growing sector with a 53-fold expansion since 2014.
- Wind Power: 56.09 GW, supported by a historic single-year capacity addition of 6.05 GW.
- Large Hydroelectric Projects: 51.41 GW, integrated into the renewable definition to streamline balancing power.
- Nuclear Power: 8.78 GW, providing baseload support alongside weather-dependent systems.
- Bioenergy and Small Hydro: 11.75 GW of bio-power and 5.17 GW of small hydro power projects.
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
Launched in February 2024 with an outlay of 75,021 crore INR, this central sector scheme targets the installation of residential rooftop solar systems across one crore households by March 2027.
Subsidy Architecture
The program provides direct central financial assistance based on capacity tiers to lower upfront financial barriers for individual consumers.
| Average Monthly Consumption (Units) | Recommended Plant Capacity | Subsidy Amount (INR) |
| 0 to 150 units | 1 to 2 kW | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| 150 to 300 units | 2 to 3 kW | 60,000 to 78,000 |
| Greater than 300 units | Above 3 kW | Maximum of 78,000 |
Structural Milestones and Institutional Mechanisms
- Government Building Solarisation: Over 53,000 public administrative structures have been solarised, achieving 80 percent of the intermediate institutional target with 855 MW installed capacity.
- Model Solar Villages: Allocation of 800 crore INR to establish one Model Solar Village per district, targeting revenue villages with a population over 5,000 to promote community-level distributed generation.
- Utility-Linked Aggregation Model: Implemented to improve operational coordination between vendors, state electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), and end consumers for faster grid integration.
Associated Clean Energy Initiatives
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy coordinates parallel frameworks to expand the domestic green energy manufacturing ecosystem.
PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan)
Aims to provide energy security to farmers by solarising water pumps and setting up small solar plants.
- Component A: Setting up decentralized ground-mounted, grid-connected solar power plants up to 2 MW capacity.
- Component B: Installation of standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps to replace diesel variants.
- Component C: Solarisation of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps via individual or feeder-level systems.
Manufacturing Capacity Expansion
Domestic solar module manufacturing capacity expanded to approximately 172 GW, moving the market toward self-reliance in upstream solar component production.
IASPOINT Booster Facts for UPSC
- Global Capacity Rankings: According to IRENA Renewable Energy Statistics, India ranks third globally in total installed renewable capacity, trailing only China and the United States.
- COP26 Panchamrit Goal: India stands committed to achieving 500 GW of cumulative non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, which requires maintaining an annual installation trajectory of nearly 50 GW.
- Emission Intensity Commitments: The country aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 45 percent by 2030 compared to the baseline year of 2005.
- Long-term Outlook (FY36): National generation adequacy projections indicate India’s non-fossil capacity will scale to 786 GW by 2035-36, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the total projected domestic electricity grid.
- Nodal Authority for Net Metering: State DISCOMs act as the legal implementing and regulatory bodies for executing net metering regulations across separate state jurisdictions.