India Secured 3rd Place Worldwide in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity, Says Shri Pralhad Joshi

India has secured the third position globally in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity, overtaking Brazil, according to the Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as of December 2025.

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi, highlighted that India added 55.3 GW of non-fossil capacity during FY 2025–26, marking the highest annual increase to date, surpassing the previous record of 29.5 GW in 2024–25.

Shri Joshi noted that in July 2025, renewable sources met 51.5% of the country’s total electricity demand of 203 GW—the highest share recorded so far. As of 31 March 2026, India’s non-fossil fuel capacity stands at 283.46 GW, comprising 274.68 GW of renewable energy and 8.78 GW of nuclear power.

“India achieved the milestone of 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in June 2025, five years ahead of its 2030 target under the Paris Agreement NDC,” Shri Joshi said.

Installed Renewable Energy Capacity by Country (GW)

• China: 2,258.02
• USA: 467.92
• India: 250.52
• Brazil: 228.20
• Germany: 199.92
• Japan: 134.53
• Canada: 110.51
• World Total: 5,149.28

Key Achievements in FY 2025–26

Solar Energy:

• Total installed capacity: 150.26 GW (Utility: 110.43 GW, Rooftop: 25.73 GW, KUSUM & Off-grid: 14.10 GW).
• Highest-ever annual solar addition: 44.61 GW, almost double the previous year’s 23.83 GW.
• Distributed solar contributed 16.31 GW, including 8.71 GW rooftop and 7.67 GW KUSUM projects, benefiting over 42 lakh households cumulatively.
• Solar module manufacturing capacity increased to 172 GW, up from 74 GW in 2024–25.

Wind Energy:

• Annual addition: 6.05 GW, a 46% increase over FY 2024–25.
• Cumulative installed capacity: 56.09 GW, ranking India 4th globally.
• Wind turbine manufacturing capacity rose to 24 GW.

Bioenergy & Waste-to-Energy:

• Revised guidelines for Waste-to-Energy and Biomass programs improved liquidity, market flexibility, and performance-based evaluation, accelerating project implementation.
• More than 50% of the allocated Rs 998 crore budget for Bioenergy was released in FY 2025–26.

Green Energy Corridor:

• Seven states completed Phase-I, strengthening transmission infrastructure.
• Around ₹787 crore released for transmission infrastructure, with 345 GW of Renewable Energy Potential Zones identified for future expansion.

Green Hydrogen Mission:

• Approved with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, targeting 5 MMT per annum production by 2030.
• Record-low price discovery of ₹49.75/kg for green ammonia in SECI tenders and strategic agreements worth $2.5 billion in foreign exchange savings.
• Infrastructure and pilot projects, including Hydrogen Valleys and skill development programs, were established to support industrial transition.

Small Hydro Power:

• New scheme approved for FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31 with an outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore, targeting 1,500 MW of small hydro projects, especially in hilly and North-Eastern states.

R&D and Skill Development:

• Breakthroughs in silicon tandem solar cells (30%) and perovskite solar cells (26%) achieved at IIT Bombay.
• Sodium-ion battery technology research initiated at IIT Roorkee.
• 1,24,793 candidates trained under renewable energy skill development programs, including solar, wind, and green hydrogen sectors.

Electricity Generation Highlights 2025–26

• Total generation: 1,845.92 BU, a 0.93% growth from last year.
• Non-fossil fuel share: 29.2% (538.97 BU).
• Renewable energy generation (excluding large hydro): 308.81 BU, up 21.1%, with wind at 106.09 BU (+27.3%) and solar at 173.53 BU (+20.4%).
• Combined wind and solar accounted for 15.14% of total generation.

Shri Joshi reaffirmed India’s commitment to achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, in line with the Prime Minister’s announcement at COP26.