India’s Renewable Energy Capacity

Context:

India has achieved a major milestone in its renewable energy journey, with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) reporting a record-setting year for clean energy installations in the Financial Year 2024–25. The country added 29.52 GW of renewable energy capacity, bringing the total installed capacity to 220.10 GW as of March 31, 2025—up from 198.75 GW the previous year.

This progress marks a significant step forward in India’s pursuit of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030, a key component of the nation’s climate commitments under the ‘Panchamrit’ goals announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at COP26.

Key components:

Solar energy

Solar energy was the primary driver of this year’s growth, contributing 23.83 GW—a sharp rise from 15.03 GW added in FY 2023–24. India’s total solar capacity now stands at 105.65 GW, comprising:

81.01 GW from ground-mounted projects
17.02 GW from rooftop solar
2.87 GW from hybrid project components
4.74 GW from off-grid systems

The expansion highlights India's growing reliance on solar energy, both in large-scale utility projects and decentralized rooftop systems.

Wind Energy

India’s wind energy sector also showed steady momentum, with 4.15 GW added during FY 2024–25—up from 3.25 GW the previous year. The country’s cumulative installed wind capacity has now surpassed 50 GW, reaffirming its crucial role in the renewable energy mix.

Bioenergy and Small Hydro

Supporting the solar and wind segments, bioenergy and small hydro power continued their contributions:

Bioenergy: Reached 11.58 GW, including 0.53 GW from off-grid and waste-to-energy projects.
Small Hydro Power: Totaled 5.10 GW, with 0.44 GW currently under implementation.

These sectors are vital to India’s decentralised energy strategy, offering region-specific solutions and grid support.

About Panchamri goals:

India has put forward five key points, which are referred to as the "Panchamrit," regarding its climate action plan. These include:

· Achieving a non-fossil energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030.

· Sourcing 50% of its total energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2030.

· Reducing the country's total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes between the present day and 2030.

· Decreasing the carbon intensity of India's economy by 45% by 2030, based on 2005 levels.

· Achieving the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Conclusion:

MNRE continues to implement progressive policies and frameworks to drive large-scale deployment of renewables. The FY 2024–25 performance reflects India’s unwavering commitment to achieving its climate targets, enhancing energy independence, and transitioning toward a green economy.