From pv magazine India
The Indian government will soon launch a utility-led solar program under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana to benefit households without suitable rooftop space, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said during his speech at the Mercom India Renewables Summit 2025.
The minister also shared that India has achieved a landmark in its energy transition journey by reaching 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources – five years ahead of the target set under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement.
“We aimed for 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. Today, we are proud to say that half of India’s installed power is already from non-fossil sources,” said the minister, crediting the achievement to the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During his address, Joshi also revealed that the to-be-launched utility-led solar initiative is designed to benefit households without suitable rooftop space. The program aims to further democratize access to solar energy across rural India.
To accelerate the energy transition, Joshi further outlined five strategic focus areas: strengthening power purchase agreements (PPAs), developing robust grid and storage infrastructure, promoting domestic manufacturing, optimizing land use, and improving access to finance.
India’s clean energy growth is being driven by initiatives such as the Surya Ghar program, which has received over 5.87 million applications and led to 1.72 million completed rooftop solar installations. To support further expansion, the government has launched a funding scheme worth INR 54 billion ($622.9 million) for 30 GWh of battery energy storage, expected to attract INR 330 billion in investment.
India’s installed renewable energy capacity now exceeds 245 GW, including 116 GW of solar and 52 GW of wind. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said clean energy additions in 2024 alone helped the country save nearly INR 4 trillion by reducing fossil fuel imports and pollution.
Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government has already allocated 8.6 million tons per annum of green hydrogen production capacity and 3,000 MW of electrolyzer manufacturing.
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