India’s Renewable Energy Journey: Powering a Cleaner Future

Key Highlights:

• India's non-fossil capacity reached 308 GW by July 2026, accounting for 55% of total installed capacity.
• India ranks third globally in renewable energy installed capacity.
• PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana launched with ₹75,021 crore outlay for 1 crore households, commissioning 19.1 GW rooftop solar.
• Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana approved with ₹5,070 crore to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar projects with energy storage.
• National Green Hydrogen Mission targets 5 MMT production by 2030 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore.
• GOBARdhan scheme approved with ₹23,731 crore outlay to nearly ten-fold domestic Compressed Biogas (CBG) production.

Detailed Insights:

• India's total installed power capacity increased from 249 GW in 2014 to approximately 560 GW by October 2026.
• The country invested USD 63.7 billion in its renewable energy sector between July 2024 and June 2026.
• The Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo (BRESE) 2026 brought together global policymakers and industry leaders in New Delhi.
• Solar power is now the largest component of India’s renewable energy capacity, reaching ~175 GW by October 2026.
• India ranks fourth globally in installed wind power capacity, which stood at 59.20 GW as of October 2026.
• The Union Cabinet approved a ₹7,453 crore Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for 1 GW of offshore wind projects.
• Bio-power capacity reached 11.75 GW, with 839 CBG plants registered and 210 commissioned.
• Cumulative hydropower capacity is 57.49 GW, supported by the Small Hydro Power Development Scheme with a ₹2,584.60 crore outlay.
• Indian companies have signed 5.5 lakh MTPA of Green Hydrogen offtake commitments since 2023, with over 70% earmarked for exports.
• India launched 12 pilot projects for 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles and its first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell train in July 2026.
• The National Policy on Geothermal Energy was notified in September 2025, estimating India's geothermal potential at around 10,600 MW.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Financial support provided by the government to infrastructure projects that are economically justified but not financially viable.
• Green Hydrogen: Hydrogen produced through electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources, resulting in zero carbon emissions.
• Circular Bioeconomy: An economic model that aims to minimize waste and maximize resource utilization by reusing and recycling biological resources.