India’s Renewable Energy Capacity Surges Threefold to 232GW Over the Past Decade

India has witnessed a remarkable threefold surge in its renewable energy capacity over the past decade, with total installed green power — including large hydropower — reaching 232GW, up from 75.52GW in March 2014, according to official sources.

This milestone reinforces India’s status as a global leader in the renewable energy space. One of the most striking indicators of progress is the dramatic fall in solar tariffs, which have plummeted by 80%, now standing at ₹10.95 per unit for 170MW capacity at the Neemuch project.

In 2024, India’s solar module manufacturing capacity soared to 90GW, a significant leap from almost zero domestic production of solar cells and wafers in 2014. By 2030, the country aims to reach 150GW in module manufacturing capacity. Official sources noted that previous policies had left India heavily reliant on imports, but recent initiatives have laid a strong foundation, with current solar cell production capacity at 25GW and wafer capacity at 2GW.

Plans are in place to scale up solar cell and wafer production to 100GW and 40GW respectively by 2030. Additionally, fully integrated solar manufacturing capacity in India has reached 3.2GW this year, with a 2030 target of 24GW.

Other renewable sectors have also shown steady growth. Biopower generation capacity expanded by 42% in the last 10 years, rising from 8.1GW to 11.5GW. The Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector, which had only a single project producing 8 tonnes per day (TPD) in 2014, now boasts 150 projects with a combined capacity of 1,211 TPD.

The government’s flagship rooftop solar initiative, PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, has also gained momentum, benefiting nearly 1.33 million households, with 1.2 million installations completed in just the last 10 months.

In total, India added a record 25GW of new renewable capacity in 2024 alone — a 34.63% increase compared to the 18.57GW added in the previous year.

Looking ahead, India has set an ambitious target of achieving 500GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. To stay on track, the country will need to consistently add approximately 50GW of green capacity annually.

As India accelerates towards its clean energy goals, its rapid growth in manufacturing and project deployment positions it as a key driver in the global energy transition.