India’s Renewable Energy Journey: Powering a Cleaner Future

November 13, 2026

PIB Backgrounder

प्रविष्टि तिथि: 13 NOV 2026 1:02PM by PIB Delhi

India’s Energy Landscape

India’s renewable energy landscape is expanding rapidly to meet rising demand, strengthen energy security, and support a cleaner future. The transformation spans solar, wind, hydro, bio-energy, geothermal and green hydrogen.

Policy support, infrastructure development, domestic production, manufacturing expansion and wider energy access are shaping this transformation. From rooftop solar for households to large wind, floating solar and storage projects, India is steadily raising the share of renewables in its energy mix.

Numbers At a Glance:

Total installed power capacity: Around 560 GW in October 2026, up from 249 GW in 2014.
Non-fossil capacity: 308 GW as of 31 July 2026, accounting for 55% of total installed capacity.
India ranks third globally in renewable energy installed capacity.
India invested USD 63.7 billion in its renewable energy sector during July 2024–June 2026.

Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo (BRESE) 2026

Invest. Innovate. Inspire

The Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo (BRESE) 2026 was held from 2–5 November in New Delhi. The Summit brought together global policymakers, investors, industry leaders, manufacturers and innovators. Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom participated as country partners. Thirteen Indian States and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, showcased their renewable energy potential, investment opportunities and manufacturing capabilities. The event also featured an exhibition bringing together 400+ manufacturers, technology providers, startups and research institutions. Discussions covered renewable energy financing, clean energy manufacturing, energy storage, emerging technologies and workforce development.

Solar Power: Scaling Up, Reaching More People

India’s installed solar capacity has reached ~175 GW (as of 31 October 2026), rising from 2.8 GW in 2014. Solar is now the largest component of India’s renewable energy capacity. India became the world’s second-largest solar growth market in 2025, adding more than 37 GW of solar capacity, compared with 34 GW added by the United States.

PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

Launched with a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore for 1 crore households in February 2024.

65.26 lakh households are now benefiting from rooftop solar installations across the country (As of 02.11.2026).
Approximately ₹35,800 crore in subsidy has been transferred to the beneficiaries.
Nearly 21 lakh households have received zero electricity bills till October, 2026.
Cumulatively, 19.1 GW of rooftop solar capacity has been commissioned under the scheme so far.

Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana

The government approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) on 31 July 2026 with an outlay of ₹5,070 crore. It adds a new dimension to India’s solar expansion with the development of Floating Solar Photovoltaic Projects with Energy Storage Systems.

Target: 5,000 MW of Floating Solar PV projects.
Co-located storage with a minimum two-hour duration, equivalent to 10,000 MWh.
Projects to be sanctioned from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31.

Wind Energy

Wind energy continues to be an important pillar of India’s renewable energy expansion. India ranks fourth globally in installed wind power capacity. The sector is also seeing stronger annual additions and growing domestic manufacturing.

Installed capacity: 59.20 GW as on 29 October 2026.
India added 6.05 GW in FY 2025–26, its highest-ever annual wind capacity addition and 46% higher than FY 2024–25.
Around 28 GW of additional wind capacity is under implementation.
Wind turbine manufacturing capacity reached about 24 GW (March 2026), up from 10 GW in 2014. The sector has achieved 70–80% indigenisation across key components.
The Union Cabinet approved a ₹7,453 crore VGF scheme on 19 June 2024 for 1 GW of offshore wind projects.

Bio-Energy

Bio-power capacity stands at 11.75 GW as of 29 October 2026. The CBG ecosystem has also expanded, with 839 CBG plants registered as of 02 November 2026. Of these, 210 have been commissioned and 255 are under construction.

Biomass cogeneration: 9821.32 MW of bagasse-based and 1047.85 MW of non-bagasse capacity as of 30 September 2026.
Waste-to-Energy: As of 30 September 2026, grid-connected waste-to-energy capacity stood at 324.24 MW. Off-grid plants contributed another 554.16 MW.
National Bioenergy Programme: The programme supports Waste-to-Energy, Biomass and Biogas projects through financial assistance. Phase-I covered FY 2021–22 to FY 2025–26, with an outlay of ₹858 crore.

GOBARdhan: Turning Waste into Energy Growth

Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan)– National Circular Bioenergy Scheme: Approved by the government on 6 August 2026, with an outlay of ₹23,731 crore for FY 2026–27 to FY 2035–36.
The scheme aims to nearly ten-fold domestic CBG production and create a national circular bioeconomy. Llar Cooperation

Hydro

Hydropower remains an important source of renewable electricity, providing reliable and flexible power generation. It also supports grid stability as solar and wind capacity expand. Cumulative capacity of hydro power is 57.49 GW (as of 29 October 2026), including large and small hydro.

Small Hydro Power Development Scheme

The government has approved the Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme in March 2026 for FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31, with an outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore.
The scheme aims to add approximately 1,500 MW of small hydro capacity through projects of 1–25 MW. It particularly supports projects in hilly and North-Eastern regions.

Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen has emerged as a clean fuel option for hard-to-abate sectors. It can also support energy security and industrial growth.

National Green Hydrogen Mission:

The government launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) in 2023 as an umbrella programme to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and catalyse a systemic response to the opportunities and challenges in this sector.

Approved in January 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, targeting 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) of green hydrogen production by 2030.
Indian companies have signed 5.5 lakh MTPA of Green Hydrogen offtake commitments since 2023, the world’s largest supply commitment.
Indian companies signed 18 new offtake agreements in 2026, covering over 4 lakh MTPA of Green Hydrogen equivalent.
Over 70% of the total 5.5 lakh MTPA offtake commitments since 2023 are earmarked for exports.
Green Hydrogen projects are expected to attract investments of around ₹90,000 crore (US$9.5 billion).
Production capacity: Around 8,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production capacity had been commissioned by February 2026.
Transport: In July 2026, the Government launched 12 pilot projects under the Mission for 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles across 21 routes.
India’s first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell-powered train began operations on the Jind–Sonipat section in July 2026.

Geo Thermal

Geothermal energy offers a reliable renewable source that can complement variable sources such as solar and wind. Geothermal energy uses heat stored within the Earth to generate electricity or provide direct heat.

National Policy on Geothermal Energy (notified on 15 September 2025)

The policy provides a framework for the exploration, development and utilisation of geothermal resources.
The Geological Survey of India has estimated India’s geothermal potential at around 10,600 MW, based on exploration across 381 hot springs, with 42 geothermal manifestations identified as promising areas.
The policy promotes technology partnerships, knowledge transfer and joint R&D. India has cooperation mechanisms with Australia, Iceland, Saudi Arabia and the United States for geothermal energy.
Five projects sanctioned during July–August 2025, including a pilot production plant, resource assessment projects and a solar–geothermal hybrid plant. These aim to establish the techno-economic viability of geothermal applications.

Looking Ahead: Building India’s Energy Future

India is building an energy system powered increasingly by clean, renewable sources. Expanding solar, wind, hydro and bio-energy capacity is being supported by domestic manufacturing, energy storage and emerging technologies such as green hydrogen and geothermal energy.

As energy demand grows, renewable energy will support reliable power, greater energy security and a cleaner future. Continued policy support and technological progress will help build an energy system that is sustainable, self-reliant and future-ready.

References

Cabinet

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241799&reg=3&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?ModuleId=3&NoteId=158349&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2292445&reg=48&lang=1

Ministry of Power:

https://npp.gov.in/dashBoard/cp-map-dashboard

Prime Minister Office (PMO):

https://x.com/PMOIndia/status/2117118441916445054

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

https://mnre.gov.in/documents/guidelines/physical-achievements-kzN2kTMtQWa?pageTitle=Physical-Achievements

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2329695&reg=48&lang=1