India has achieved its highest-ever annual addition of non-fossil fuel energy capacity at 31.25 GW in the current financial year, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced during the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025 held in Puri, Odisha. Of the total new capacity, 24.28 GW came from solar power, marking the sector’s strongest year of growth so far.
The Minister said India continues to play a key role in the global renewable energy transition, noting the rapid acceleration in clean energy deployment worldwide. “After taking nearly 70 years for the world to reach 1 terawatt of renewable capacity in 2022, the second terawatt was added in just two years,” he stated. He added that India has been a major contributor to this surge, supplying 46 GW of global new solar additions between 2022 and 2024, making it the third-largest contributor globally.
India’s renewable energy expansion has been particularly dramatic in the solar sector, with capacity rising from 2.8 GW in 2014 to around 130 GW today, representing a growth of more than 4,500% over 11 years.
Despite being the world’s second-largest coal consumer and holding the fifth-largest reserves, India is increasingly balancing fossil fuels with clean energy. The Minister said the transition is being driven not only by environmental priorities but also by emerging global competitiveness standards tied to low-carbon production.
Odisha Rooftop Solar Programme Announced
During the event, Shri Joshi also unveiled a new initiative for Odisha — the installation of 1.5 lakh, 1-kW rooftop solar systems under the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. The programme is expected to benefit 7–8 lakh residents, particularly low-income households.
Odisha, he said, is already demonstrating strong renewable adoption. The State has installed more than 3.1 GW of renewable capacity, accounting for over 34% of its total electricity generation mix. Under PM Surya Ghar so far, 1.6 lakh applications have been received, 23,000 rooftop systems installed, and over 19,200 households have received subsidies amounting to ₹147 crore.
‘Coming Years Belong to Odisha’
Shri Joshi attributed India’s clean energy momentum to ease-of-doing-business reforms, investor confidence, demand-driven policies, and coordinated Centre–State implementation.
He praised Odisha’s leadership, stating that the State is now positioned to lead the next phase of India’s renewable growth. “The coming years will belong to Odisha,” he said, commending Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and the people of the State for advancing solar adoption and green technology.
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