India Hits Record 45 GW Solar Power in FY26, Ranks 3rd in Renewable Capacity

In a separate social media post, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said that this achievement reflects India's unwavering commitment to energy security, sustainable development, and the vision of a Viksit Bharat. He noted that Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra led this growth, driving the transition towards a cleaner and more self-reliant future.

The minister further informed that the country added 6.65 gigawatts of solar capacity in March 2026, marking the highest-ever solar installation in a single month. "Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have led this extraordinary growth, powering India's transition towards a cleaner, greener, and more self-reliant future," Joshi said.

The Union Minister, on Wednesday, also stated that India has surpassed Brazil to rank third globally in renewable energy installed capacity, according to the Renewable Energy Statistics 2026.

Joshi noted that India's total power generation during 2025-26 (up to March 2026) reached 1,845.921 billion units (BU). The share of non-fossil fuels in total generation rose to 29.2 per cent (538.97 BU) during the same period. India achieved the milestone of 50 per cent of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in June 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 target set under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement at COP26, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is working towards achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.

As part of efforts to meet energy targets, the government earlier approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) with an initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore, to be spent by 2029-30. The mission aims to produce at least 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. It is also expected to add 125 GW of renewable energy capacity, attract over Rs 8 lakh crore in investments, create more than 6 lakh full-time jobs, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 million metric tonnes annually.

India also achieved its highest-ever annual wind capacity addition of 6.05 GW during FY 2025-26, forty-six per cent higher than the 4.15 GW added in FY 2024-25. The cumulative installed wind power capacity has crossed 56 GW, positioning India fourth globally in terms of installed wind turbine capacity. A capex allocation of Rs 500 crore was made under the Wind GBI Scheme. The Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) scheme is a renewable energy policy by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy designed to promote wind and solar power by providing financial incentives per unit (kWh) of electricity fed into the grid.

- ANI