Union Minister Pralhad Joshi recently announced that India has achieved its highest-ever addition of non-fossil fuel capacity, with 31.25 GW added in the current financial year, including 24.28 GW of solar power. Speaking at the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025, Joshi highlighted India’s significant progress in clean energy, noting that the country’s solar capacity has grown from 2.8 GW to 130 GW in just 11 years, a growth of over 4,500 percent. He also pointed out that India has added 46 GW of solar capacity to global totals between 2022 and 2024, making it the third-largest contributor during that period.
Joshi unveiled a new initiative for the state of Odisha, a 1.5 lakh rooftop solar ULA model aimed at empowering 7-8 lakh residents. The scheme is expected to directly benefit economically weaker households and is part of the PM Surya Ghar programme. He noted that Odisha has already installed over 3.1 GW of renewable capacity, with clean energy contributing more than 34 percent of its total installed power capacity.
The Minister credited India’s broader renewable energy success to the ecosystem created under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which includes improved ease of doing business, confident investors, strong infrastructure, demand-driven schemes, and close cooperation between the Centre and States. He expressed optimism about Odisha’s future, commending the leadership of the state’s government and the people’s commitment to renewable energy and green technology.
Joshi also highlighted the global acceleration of renewable energy, noting that the world reached its second terawatt of renewable energy in just two years, after taking nearly seven decades to reach the first terawatt. He said that India is a key contributor to this global acceleration and that the country is steadily balancing its coal usage with a rapid shift towards renewable energy. The Minister emphasized the importance of India’s renewable transition, citing global policy and regulatory changes that are shaping industrial competitiveness. Overall, India’s clean energy progress is a significant landmark, and the country is poised to continue playing a major role in the global transition to renewable energy.