Emphasising the Government of India’s commitment to building a resilient and self-reliant renewable energy sector, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, outlined five key priorities for India’s clean energy transition. These include strengthened power purchase agreements (PPAs), robust grid and storage infrastructure, domestic manufacturing, optimised land use, and improved access to finance.

Speaking at the Mercom India Renewables Summit in New Delhi, the Minister highlighted that these priorities are instrumental in advancing India towards its 2030 target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is not only meeting its commitments but accelerating its progress.

Shri Joshi announced that India has already achieved over 50 per cent of its installed power capacity from non-fossil sources—five years ahead of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) timeline. The country’s current renewable energy capacity stands at over 245 GW, including 116 GW of solar and 52 GW of wind power.

Citing an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report, the Minister said that India’s renewable energy expansion in 2024 has helped the nation save nearly Rs 4 trillion by avoiding fossil fuel imports and pollution-related expenses. This includes USD 14.9 billion in fossil fuel savings, 410.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions avoided, and USD 31.7 billion in health and air pollution-related benefits.

The government is accelerating this growth through major programmes such as the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which has received over 5.87 million applications and resulted in 1.72 million rooftop solar installations. To ensure financial viability and long-term sector stability, a Rs 54 billion Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme has been introduced for 30 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), expected to attract Rs 330 billion in investment.

A national transmission plan has also been devised to support the evacuation of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, in coordination with the Ministry of Power, CEA, CTU, and POWERGRID. Additionally, the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) has been expanded, with List-II for solar PV cells set to come into effect in June 2026. A Rs 240 billion Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme is also propelling domestic solar and wind manufacturing.

To foster innovation and sustainable land use, the government is backing floating solar projects, canal-top installations, agrivoltaics, and clean energy ventures in tribal and remote areas. MSMEs and startups are being empowered to lead energy innovations at scale.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission is progressing swiftly with a Rs 197.4 billion outlay. Key milestones include allocation of 3,000 MW electrolyser capacity and approvals for 860,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen production.