India's solar capacity addition at five-year lowest

04 Mar 2021 Editorial Team

Last year, India saw its solar power capacity additions shrink by 56% on a year-on-year basis due to Covid-induced lockdowns, but a “significant positive growth” has been noted this year.

Mercom India Research reports that in 2020, at 3,239 MW, India’s newly commissioned solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached its lowest level in five years, and the drop in power sale agreements as tariffs in auctions experienced a steep fall. A rise in module prices and the lockdowns have contributed to the decline.

This year, with policies aiming to promote domestic manufacturing and curb imports of solar components, the sector is set for growth. Market analysts anticipate over 10 GW of solar capacity addition in 2021, given the upcoming commissioning of delayed projects in 2020.

4th Indian Cement Review Conference 2021

17-18 March

Click for event info

According to media sources, India commissioned 2.5 GW of large scale solar parks in the past year, or 60% less than a year before. Rooftop installations fell 35% in annual terms to 719 MW and accounted for 22% of the total capacity additions. Regionally, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were the three states with the largest share of new installations for the year.

In the fourth quarter, 1.5 GW of solar parks were put on stream, down from 1.8 GW a year back. Out of this, 1.2 GW came from the large scale solar sector, and 285 MW was from the rooftop systems.

Overall, solar was responsible for 48% of India’s total power capacity additions in 2020. Its cumulative installed solar capacity at the year end amounted to 39 GW, and around 47.5 GW was in the pipeline.

Image Source

Also read: Cities, states issue tenders for solar projects

Also read: Total solar capacity surpasses wind capacity in India

Last year, India saw its solar power capacity additions shrink by 56% on a year-on-year basis due to Covid-induced lockdowns, but a “significant positive growth” has been noted this year. Mercom India Research reports that in 2020, at 3,239 MW, India’s newly commissioned solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached its lowest level in five years, and the drop in power sale agreements as tariffs in auctions experienced a steep fall. A rise in module prices and the lockdowns have contributed to the decline. This year, with policies aiming to promote domestic manufacturing and curb imports of solar components, the sector is set for growth. Market analysts anticipate over 10 GW of solar capacity addition in 2021, given the upcoming commissioning of delayed projects in 2020.4th Indian Cement Review Conference 202117-18 March Click for event info According to media sources, India commissioned 2.5 GW of large scale solar parks in the past year, or 60% less than a year before. Rooftop installations fell 35% in annual terms to 719 MW and accounted for 22% of the total capacity additions. Regionally, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were the three states with the largest share of new installations for the year. In the fourth quarter, 1.5 GW of solar parks were put on stream, down from 1.8 GW a year back. Out of this, 1.2 GW came from the large scale solar sector, and 285 MW was from the rooftop systems. Overall, solar was responsible for 48% of India’s total power capacity additions in 2020. Its cumulative installed solar capacity at the year end amounted to 39 GW, and around 47.5 GW was in the pipeline. Image Source Also read: Cities, states issue tenders for solar projects Also read: Total solar capacity surpasses wind capacity in India

Real Estate

04 Aug 2026

LML Realty Launches Cinema Campaign on Industrial Vision

LML Realty has launched a cinema advertising campaign in partnership with PVR INOX across 81 screens in Gurugram and Faridabad, showcasing the brand’s transformation from a mobility icon to an industrial infrastructure developer.The campaign features a cinematic brand film tracing LML’s journey since 1972, beginning with its iconic scooters and highlighting its evolution into creating infrastructure solutions that support India’s manufacturing growth.The film focuses on LML Industrial Park at Jhirka Valley, the company’s flagship industrial development approved under the Haryana Govern..

Real Estate

04 Aug 2026

IIM Ahmedabad Publishes Case Study on HoABL’s Business Model

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has published a case study on The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), examining the company’s digital-first consumer journey and business model that created India’s branded land category.Titled “HoABL: Ready for Scaling Up”, the case study has been published by the IIMA Case Centre and co-authored by Sourav Borah, Associate Professor of Marketing at IIMA, and Dr Aparna Kansal of IMT Ghaziabad. IIMA case studies are used across management and executive education programmes to help students and business leaders analyse strategic decision..

Infrastructure Energy

04 Aug 2026

Advait Energy and MEIL Partner for Energy Transition Projects

Advait Energy Transitions Limited (AETL) and Manipal Energy Infratech Limited (MEIL), a company of The Manipal Group, have entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on power and energy transition opportunities across India and international markets.The partnership aims to combine AETL’s expertise in innovative energy technologies and manufacturing with MEIL’s EPC execution capabilities and project management experience. The collaboration will focus on opportunities across Power Transmission & Distribution, Renewable Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems..