India Achieves Record Renewable Energy Growth; Launches Major Rooftop Solar Initiative In Odisha

India has cemented its position as a global clean energy frontrunner by adding an unprecedented 31.25 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity in the financial year 2025–26.

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi highlighted this achievement at the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit in Puri, noting that 24.28 GW of this new capacity came from solar installations alone.

This record addition marks a major advance in India’s drive toward sustainable power generation and energy independence.

Addressing energy leaders from around the world, Minister Joshi underlined India’s remarkable contribution to global renewable growth.

He noted that the world spent nearly seventy years building its first terawatt of renewable capacity, but added the second terawatt in only two years—with India contributing significantly to this rapid growth.

Over the past eleven years, India’s solar capacity has soared from 2.8 GW to almost 130 GW, reflecting an extraordinary rise of over 4,500 per cent.

Between 2022 and 2024 alone, India added 46 GW to global solar capacity, making it the third-largest contributor after China and the United States.

Despite being home to one of the world’s largest coal reserves and remaining a major coal consumer, India is steadily advancing its green transition.

Minister Joshi stressed that this shift is strategically essential as global sustainability norms increasingly shape industrial competitiveness.

A key announcement at the summit was the approval of the Utility-Led Aggregation model for rooftop solar installations across Odisha.

Under this plan, 150,000 rooftop systems of 1 kW each will be set up, empowering between 700,000 and 800,000 residents—particularly from low-income households—by reducing electricity costs and expanding access to clean energy.

The programme is poised to become one of eastern India’s largest rooftop solar initiatives.

Vision for a Green and Self-Reliant Odisha

Odisha currently has over 3.1 GW of installed renewable capacity, accounting for more than 34 per cent of its total power generation.

Under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, the state has already seen significant participation, with over 160,000 applications and more than 23,000 installations completed.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi emphasised Odisha’s commitment to reducing its reliance on fossil fuel-based power by 2036 and emerging as a leading Green Energy State.

He highlighted the state’s substantial investments in strengthening both generation and distribution infrastructure to ensure an uninterrupted power supply, particularly in rural regions.

Majhi underscored India’s energy transformation over the past decade, noting that widespread power shortages before 2014 have given way to improved access and reliability due to policy reforms and expansion across both conventional and renewable sectors.

Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair commended Odisha’s leadership in the energy transition, stressing the need for multi-government, long-term cooperation.

The summit also featured senior leaders and experts from across India and abroad, cementing its role as a pivotal platform for shaping the nation’s renewable energy roadmap.

India’s bold expansion in clean energy and Odisha’s ambitious solar initiatives together reflect a transformative phase in the country’s march toward sustainability and energy security.

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