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India Set to Hit 500 GW Green Energy Goal by 2030, Says Top Official

India is confidently on course to achieve its target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030, according to a top government official. The country currently has about 260 GW of such capacity, requiring an addition of roughly 240 GW in the coming years. Solar power is projected to form the largest share of new capacity, contributing nearly 160 GW, with wind, hydro, and nuclear making up the remainder. The official noted that rising electricity demand from data centers and industry decarbonization efforts could even see India exceed its stated goal.

Key Points: India on Track for 500 GW Non-Fossil Power by 2030

  • 260 GW current non-fossil capacity
  • 240 GW more needed by 2030
  • Solar to contribute nearly 160 GW
  • Record 44.51 GW RE added in 2025
2 min read

India on track to meet 500 GW non-fossil power target by 2030: MNRE Secretary

India aims for 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with solar leading major additions. MNRE Secretary confirms strong project pipeline.

"India could even exceed the 500 GW target if large-scale data centre projects move ahead as planned. - Santosh Sarangi"

New Delhi, Jan 5

India is on course to achieve its ambitious target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030, with a strong pipeline of renewable energy projects already in place, a top government official has said.

India currently has around 260 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity, Santosh Sarangi, Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said while speaking to NDTV Profit.

This means the country needs to add about 240 GW more over the next few years, a goal he said is well within reach.

Sarangi explained that solar power will form the biggest share of upcoming capacity additions, contributing nearly 160 GW.

"Wind energy is expected to add around 30 GW, while the rest will come from a mix of small and large hydro projects and nuclear power. Nuclear energy is likely to add about 8 to 10 GW by 2030," he stated.

"India could even exceed the 500 GW target if large-scale data centre projects move ahead as planned," Sarangi added.

He added that electricity demand from data centres is rising rapidly, and many carbon-intensive industries are also looking to shift towards cleaner energy as part of their decarbonisation efforts.

Meanwhile, the government in last month informed that India saw highest-ever renewable energy capacity addition in 2025 at 44.51 GW (till November) which is nearly double as compared to the 24.72 GW during the same period last year.

The total renewable energy installed capacity reached 253.96 GW in November 2025, which is an increase of over 23 per cent as compared to the 205.52 GW in November 2024.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said on December 29 said that capacity addition is 34.98 GW, compared to the 20.85 GW during the same period last year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see the progress, but what about the environmental impact of manufacturing all these solar panels? And where is the focus on rooftop solar for homes? The target is impressive, but the execution needs to be sustainable and inclusive.
R
Rohit P
Data centres driving demand is a double-edged sword. Good for renewable targets, but these are huge energy guzzlers. We need to ensure our green energy isn't just powering foreign tech companies' servers while villages still face load-shedding.
S
Sarah B
As someone working in the energy sector, these numbers are encouraging. The 44.51 GW addition is massive. The key challenge will be grid integration and storage solutions. Pumped hydro and batteries need equal focus alongside generation.
V
Vikram M
Only 8-10 GW from nuclear by 2030? That seems low. For base load power and true energy security, we should be accelerating our nuclear program much more aggressively. Solar and wind are great but intermittent.
K
Kavya N
Hope this translates to cleaner air in our cities and more stable power supply in rural areas. The ambition is there, now we need to see the benefits on the ground for the common person. Jai Hind!

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