India's Renewable Energy Milestone: How 250 GW Capacity Was Achieved

The solar energy capacity increased from 2.82 GW in March 2014 to 129.92 GW, wind energy capacity increased from 21.04 GW in March 2014 to 53.60 GW, and biomass power capacity has increased from 8.18 GW in March 2014 to 11.61 GW within the given period, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Shripad Yesso Naik, said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

India is a key driver of this explosive global surge in renewable energy. In the last 11 years, the country’s solar capacity has grown from 2.8 GW to nearly 130 GW, a rise of more than 4,500 per cent. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, India contributed 46 GW to global solar additions, becoming the third-largest contributor.

The country recorded its highest-ever addition of non-fossil capacity in the current financial year at 31.25 GW, including 24.28 GW of solar.

According to reports, the share of India’s electricity generation from renewable energy (RE) capacity, including large hydro, is expected to cross 35 per cent by FY30 from 22.1 per cent in FY25, with expected incremental capacity addition of around 200 GW between FY25 and FY30.

This, in turn, also hinges on the extent of implementation of the ongoing project pipeline, where the projects are bid out and the PPAs are signed, the development of adequate transmission connectivity infrastructure as well as timely bidding for new RE projects, along with the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signing by Central nodal agencies, states the report by rating agency ICRA.

With global mechanisms now shaping industrial competitiveness, India’s shift towards renewable energy has become even more urgent and strategically important.

- IANS