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India has secured the 3rd position globally in renewable energy installed capacity as per the IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 — surpassing Brazil and trailing only China (1st) and the USA (2nd). India’s total non-fossil fuel capacity reached 283.46 GW as of March 31, 2026, including 274.68 GW from renewables and 8.78 GW from nuclear power. A record 55.3 GW of non-fossil capacity was added in FY 2025–26 — the highest annual addition India has ever achieved.

India’s Non-Fossil Installed Capacity (March 31, 2026)

Source Installed Capacity (GW)
Solar 150.26
Wind 56.09
Large Hydro 51.41
Bio Energy 11.75
Small Hydro 5.17
Nuclear 8.78
Total Non-Fossil 283.46

Record Additions in FY 2025–26

Parameter Value
Total non-fossil capacity added (FY26) 55.3 GW — highest ever
Solar capacity added (FY26) 44.61 GW — more than double previous year
Wind capacity added (FY26) 6.05 GW — highest ever in a single year
Rooftop solar (PM Surya Ghar, April 2026 alone) 2.7 lakh installations

India’s Renewable Energy Targets

Target Detail
NDC target 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030
Net Zero target 2070
Panchamrit (COP26) 50% electricity from renewables by 2030; 1 billion tonnes CO₂ reduction by 2030
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) Key agency for large-scale solar auctions

At the current trajectory of ~55 GW/year addition, India is on track to meet its 500 GW NDC target by 2030.

About IRENA

Feature Detail
Full name International Renewable Energy Agency
HQ Abu Dhabi, UAE
Founded 2009
Members 168 member states + EU
India membership Founding member (2009)
Key publication Renewable Energy Statistics (annual)
Other publications World Energy Transitions Outlook; Renewable Power Generation Costs

India’s Solar Journey

Year Solar Installed (GW)
2014 2.6
2019 28.2
2022 61.97
2024 90+
March 2026 150.26

India crossed the 100 GW solar milestone in FY 2024–25 — a goal set for 2022, achieved two years late but still historically significant. The 150 GW mark in 2026 reflects accelerating deployment.

PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: Launched February 2024 — provides up to 300 units free electricity per month and subsidised rooftop solar for 1 crore households. A major driver of distributed solar capacity.

Key Policy Drivers

National Solar Mission (part of National Action Plan on Climate Change — NAPCC)

  • Original target: 20 GW by 2022; revised to 100 GW, then 280 GW by 2030
  • Implemented through MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy)

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for Solar PV

  • ₹19,500 crore PLI scheme for high-efficiency solar PV manufacturing (2022)
  • Targets manufacturing 65 GW of solar modules annually
  • Addresses India’s dependence on Chinese solar imports

Green Hydrogen Mission

  • ₹19,744 crore outlay
  • Target: 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030
  • Uses renewable electricity to produce hydrogen — zero-carbon industrial fuel

UPSC Relevance

Paper Angle
GS3 — Environment Renewable energy, India’s NDC, Paris Agreement, energy transition
GS3 — Economy PLI scheme, green hydrogen, energy security, import substitution
GS2 — IR IRENA, India’s climate diplomacy, Panchamrit, COP commitments

Mains Keywords: IRENA 2026, renewable energy capacity, India 3rd globally, solar 150 GW, NDC 500 GW, PM Surya Ghar, Net Zero 2070, Panchamrit, PLI solar manufacturing, Green Hydrogen Mission, wind energy record

Prelims Facts Corner

Item Fact
India’s global rank (renewables) 3rd (IRENA 2026); behind China and USA
Total non-fossil capacity 283.46 GW (March 31, 2026)
Solar installed 150.26 GW
Wind installed 56.09 GW
FY26 non-fossil addition 55.3 GW — record
FY26 solar addition 44.61 GW
FY26 wind addition 6.05 GW — record
NDC target 500 GW non-fossil by 2030
IRENA HQ Abu Dhabi, UAE; founded 2009
PM Surya Ghar Rooftop solar scheme; 1 crore households target