India's Q1 solar capacity surges to 19% Y-o-Y

13 May 2024 CW Team

In the first quarter (Q1) of the calendar year (CY) 2024, solar power made up 18.5% of India's total installed power capacity and 42.9% of the installed renewable capacity, showing an increase from the previous year to 15.2% and 37.4% respectively.

According to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), and Mercom's India Solar Project Tracker, India's installed renewable energy capacity, which includes large hydro projects, was reported at 190.6 GW by the end of Q1 2024. This accounted for a 43.1% share of the overall power capacity mix.

The total renewable energy share in the power mix saw growth, reaching 179.5 GW by the end of CY23, representing 42% of the overall power capacity mix.

During the quarter, India produced approximately 32 BU of solar power.

By March 2024, large hydro constituted 10.6% and wind 10.4% of the country's overall installed power capacity.

Biomass and small hydro together accounted for 2.3% and 1.1%.

Regarding energy from conventional sources, the installed capacity as of March 2024 was reported at 251.4 GW, constituting 56.9% of all installations. This was a decrease from 58% in the previous quarter.

The breakdown of conventional power sources was as follows: coal-based thermal power accounted for 47.7%, gas for 5.7%, nuclear for 1.8%, lignite for 1.5%, and diesel for 0.13%.

Coal continued to be the primary power source, with thermal installations reaching nearly 211 GW by the end of March 2024, showing an increase from 207.8 GW in the previous quarter.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Sep 2025

Cabinet Approves Key Highway and Rail Projects in Bihar Region

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the four-laning of the 84.2-km Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, a key industrial region in poll-bound Bihar. The Cabinet also sanctioned the doubling of the 177-km Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line, which passes through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of Rs 31.7 billion.The Rs 44.5 billion highway project will be constructed under the hybrid annuity model, a variant of public-private partnership. The Mokama-Munger stretch was the only remaining two-lane section of the 363-km Buxar-Bhagalpur corridor. Fou..

NGT Issues Notice on Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices in response to a petition filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others, challenging the Bengaluru twin tunnel road project. Petitioners claim the project was “hastily announced” and bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessment procedures.Notices have been served to the Karnataka Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and project consultants.The 16.74-km twin-tube..

India’s Residential Sales to Dip Slightly in FY26

Residential sales in India’s seven major cities are projected to decline by up to 3 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to 620–640 million square feet (msf), amid a moderation in sales velocity, according to ratings agency Icra.In FY25, sales stood at 643 msf, down 8 per cent YoY, following a sharp contraction in new launches and moderated demand in the affordable and mid-income segments. This slowdown came after the sector posted a robust compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent in area sales between FY22 and FY24.Icra noted: “Having seen a strong upcycle, the sector entered an equilibrium ..