UP Targets Solar Growth with Global Ties
06 May 2025 CW Team
The Uttar Pradesh government is intensifying its policy-driven push for a green revolution by signing initial agreements with the Hinduja Group and Australia’s Smart Energy Council. With an ambitious goal to generate 500 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030, the state aims to position regions like Bundelkhand and Vindhya as hubs for solar infrastructure and investment.
A key focus of the initiative is job creation across the solar value chain—from panel manufacturing and installation to maintenance and transmission. To support this, the state has launched the Solar Mitra Yojana, aimed at developing a skilled local workforce.
Since 2017, when solar output stood at just 288 MW, Uttar Pradesh has increased capacity tenfold. Under the Solar Energy Policy 2022, the near-term target is 2,200 MW. Future plans include solar parks in Jhansi, Jalaun, and Lalitpur, solar grids along expressways and railways, and solar-powered streetlights across cities. The Bundelkhand Expressway is set to become India’s first solar expressway.
Ayodhya is being developed as a model solar city, with Noida and 16 other municipal corporations to follow in phases. The government is also doubling its rooftop solar target to 2.65 lakh units for FY 2025–26 under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.