India Becomes World’s 4th-Largest Renewable Energy Powerhouse With 257 GW Capacity

New Delhi, October 28: The Indian government has announced that it has become the fourth-largest country worldwide in renewable energy capacity. Its renewable energy capacity has reached 257 gigawatts (GW). This is a threefold increase from 81 GW in 2014. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, made the announcement in his speech at the 8th session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly today.

Solar Power Capacity Reaches An Impressive 128 GW

India’s solar power capacity has grown by a huge margin. It was just 2.8 GW in 2014 and is now 128 GW. The country’s solar module manufacturing capacity has also increased from 2 GW to 110 GW. Furthermore, solar cell manufacturing, which was zero in 2014, now stands at 27 GW.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the growth is due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that India has achieved its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of 50% installed capacity from non-fossil sources five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.

India Can Soon Become The Second-Largest Renewable Market

As per the projection by the International Energy Agency (IEA), India is on the path to becoming the world’s second-largest renewable market. Furthermore, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has called India an “energy transition powerhouse.”

Call for Collective Global Action

Joshi added that renewable energy adoption has not been satisfactory globally. He added that regions like sub-Saharan Africa and small island nations are still struggling for reliable electricity access. This is despite global solar capacity exceeding 1,600 GW.

He stated that India has identified this gap and is addressing the issue, and has pledged USD 25 million funding to the Africa Solar Facility under the ISA. He also urged other countries to provide funds under the ISA.

Joshi urged global partners to unite under the ISA’s mission to “engage, energise, and empower a new global energy order,” underscoring India’s commitment to equitable and sustainable growth within the Global South.

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