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India's installed renewable energy capacity is expected to increase to about 170 GW by March 2025 from the level of 135 GW as of December 2023

Advantage India

Robust
Demand

*Ministry of New and Renewable Energy targets 500 GW non-fossil-based electricity generation by 2030, as per the Prime Minister's COP26 announcement, with an added installation of 13.5 GW renewable energy capacity in 2023, corresponding to an investment of around Rs. 74,000 crores (US$ 8.90 billion).

*As the economy grows, the electricity demand is likely to cross 400GW by 2030.

Increasing
Investments

*In the Interim Budget for 2024-2025, The fiscal allocation for solar power grid infrastructure development surged to Rs. 8,500 Crore (US$ 1.02 billion), a significant rise from the previous year’s Rs. 4,970 Crore (US$ 0.60 billion).

*Further, Rs. 17,490 crores (US$ 2.10 billion) were allocated for the Green Hydrogen Mission and the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Program.

*India's installed renewable energy capacity is expected to increase to about 170 GW by March 2025 from the level of 136.57 GW as of December 2023, according to research agency ICRA.

Policy
Support

*The Rajasthan government signed an MoU with NTPC Green Energy for 28,500 MW of renewable energy-based projects, as part of the total 31,825 MW of power generation projects worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore (US$ 19.18 billion). This massive renewable energy investment is aimed at making Rajasthan self-reliant in the energy sector and significantly expanding the state's renewable power capacity.

Competitive
Advantage

* India was ranked fourth in wind power capacity and solar power capacity, and fourth in renewable energy installed capacity, as of 2023.

*India was ranked fourth in wind power capacity and solar power capacity, and fourth in renewable energy installed capacity, as of 2024.

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Last updated: Jul, 2024

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May, 2024

Introduction

India's energy demand is expected to increase more than that of any other country in the coming decades due to its sheer size and enormous potential for growth and development. Therefore, most of this new energy demand must be met by low-carbon, renewable sources. India's announcement India that it intends to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and to meet 50% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030 marks a historic point in the global effort to combat climate change.

India was ranked fourth in wind power capacity and solar power capacity, and fourth in renewable energy installed capacity, as of 2023. Installed renewable power generation capacity has increased at a fast pace over the past few years, posting a CAGR of 15.4% between FY16 and FY23. India has 125.15 GW of renewable energy capacity in FY23. India is the market with the fastest growth in renewable electricity, and by 2026, new capacity additions are expected to double.

With the increased support of the Government and improved economics, the sector has become attractive from an investor’s perspective. As India looks to meet its energy demand on its own, which is expected to reach 15,820 TWh by 2040, renewable energy is set to play an important role.

Market Size

As of March 2024, Renewable energy sources, including biomass, waste to power and waste to energy, have a combined installed capacity of 143.64 GW.

As of February 2024, 42.25% of the total power installed capacity is from non-fossil-based sources.

India's installed renewable energy capacity is expected to increase to about 170 GW by March 2025 from the level of 135 GW as of December 2023, according to research agency ICRA.

The country is targeting about 450 Gigawatt (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030 – about 280 GW (over 60%) is expected from solar.

The non-hydro renewable energy capacity addition stood at 4.2 GW for the first three months of FY23 against 2.6 GW for the first three months of FY22. According to research by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water's Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF), India's total installed power generation capacity reached 416 GW in FY23, of which 125 GW (30%) came from renewable energy (RE) and 47 GW (11%) comes from hydro.

The electricity generation target (Including RE) for the year 2023-24 has been fixed as 1750 Billion Units (BU). i.e. growth of around 7.2% over the actual generation of 1624.158 BU for the previous year (2022-23). The generation during 2022-23 was 1624.158 BU as compared to 1491.859 BU generated during 2021-22, representing a growth of about 8.87%.

The installed solar energy capacity has increased by 26 times in the last 9 years and stands at 73.32 GW as of December 2023. In 2023, India has added 7.5 GW of solar power capacity.

During January 2024, the capacity addition from solar energy stood at 9008.47 MW.

Solar power accounted for 16.9% of the total installed power capacity and 40.1% of the total installed renewable capacity at the end of December 2023. Solar power's share increased by 0.3% from the last quarter, when it accounted for 39.5% of the total renewable capacity.

India has hydroelectric power projects with a total capacity of 15 GW under construction, which will increase the country's total hydro capacity from 42 GW to 67 GW by 2031-32, supported by IMD's prediction of higher rainfall and the government's proactive stance towards accelerated hydropower development.

India has generated 75.57 BU of solar power in the first eleven months of FY24.

Power generation from renewable energy sources (not including hydro) stood at 22.41 billion units (BU) in January 2024, down from 25.79 BU in January 2023.

India added a record 18.48 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2023-24, a 21% increase over the previous year.

Power generation from renewable energy sources stood at 309.66 billion units (BU) between April-January 2024, down from 316.75 BU in the same period in the previous year.

With a potential capacity of 363 GW and with policies focused on the renewable energy sector, Northern India is expected to become the hub for renewable energy in India.

Investments/ Developments

According to the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the non-conventional energy space in India has become highly attractive for investors and received an FDI inflow of US$ 15.36 billion between April 2000-September 2023.. More than Rs. 5.2 lakh crore (US$ 70 billion) has been invested in India’s renewable energy sector since 2014.

Some major investments and developments in the Indian renewable energy sector are as follows:

India's renewable energy sector set to attract over $250 billion in investments, with solar PV projects expecting $15.5 billion and battery manufacturing $2.7 billion.
The non-conventional energy space in India has become highly attractive for investors and received an FDI inflow of US$ 17.88 billion between April 2000-March 2024.
According to Moody's, India will require US$ 190 billion-US$ 215 billion of investment over the next seven years to achieve the target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, and another US$ 150 billion-US$ 170 billion for electricity transmission, distribution, and energy storage.
Radiance Renewables, an Indian renewable energy developer, and the UK's Private Infrastructure Development Group have formed a joint venture called Radiance InfraCo Renewables to develop greenfield solar and wind-solar hybrid projects for commercial and industrial clients in India, leveraging their expertise to support the country's transition towards its net-zero emissions target by 2070.
Maruti Suzuki India will invest Rs. 450 crore (US$ 54 million) over the next three years in renewable energy projects, including a biogas plant at Manesar and expanding solar capacity. The pilot biogas plant aims to produce 1 lakh cubic meters of biogas in FY 2024-25, offsetting 190 tonnes of CO2 annually. Solar capacity will grow from 43.2 MWp to 78.2 MWp by FY 2025-26, supporting Suzuki's 'Environment Vision 2050.'.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd. will invest Rs. 80,000 crore (US$ 9.59 billion) in Maharashtra for green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol projects, including 2 GW pumped storage and up to 5 GW renewable energy projects, as part of a plan to build 60 GW renewable capacity by 2032.
On December 4, 2023, Andhra Pradesh announced Rs 6600 crore (US$ 794 million) clean energy and infrastructure expansion plans, including a 750 MW solar project, 100 MW solar plant, substation enhancements, collaborations with HPCL, Avera AI Mobility's electric vehicle expansion, and SECI contract for solar energy.
On January 4, 2024, Torrent Power signed four initial pacts with the Gujarat government to invest Rs 47,350 crore (US$ 5.70 billion) in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and electricity distribution. These investments are aimed at contributing to the state's development and creating employment opportunities.
On January 8, 2024, Tata Power announced a Rs 70,000 crore (US$ 8.42 billion) investment to develop 10 GW of solar and wind power capacity in Tamil Nadu over the next 5-7 years. This aligns with its goal of achieving 70% clean energy production by 2030.
In November 2023, AmpIn Energy Transition announced an investment of Rs. 3,100 crore (US$ 372.6 million) to establish renewable energy projects exceeding 600 MW and an integrated manufacturing facility for solar cells and modules across the Eastern region. The funding will be focused in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and the Northeastern States.
Around US$ 2.8 trillion will be invested in energy in 2023 globally. More than US$ 1.7 trillion is going to clean energy, including renewable power, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emission fuels, efficiency improvements and end-use renewables and electrification.
US$ 2.4 billion National Hydrogen Mission for production of 5 MMT by 2030 and US$ 36 million additional in budget.
59 solar parks with an aggregate capacity 40 GW have been approved in India.
Solar Parks in Pavagada (2 GW), Kurnool (1 GW) and Bhadla-II (648 MW) are included in the top 5 operational solar parks of 7 GW capacity in the country.
The world’s largest renewable energy park of 30 GW capacity solar-wind hybrid project is under installation in Gujarat.
India offers a great opportunity for investments in the RE sector; $196.98 Bn worth of projects are underway in India.
Wind Energy has an offshore target of 30 GW by 2030 with 3 potential sites identified.
In August 2022, Norfund, who manages the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund, and KLP, Norway’s biggest pension company, signed an agreement to buy a 49% share of a 420 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan for Rs. 2.8 billion (US$ 35.05 million).
India has generated 47.64 BU of solar power in the first half of 2022, a 34% YoY increase.
Investment in renewable energy in India reached a record US$ 14.5 billion in FY22, an increase of 125% over FY21.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has become the first Indian airport to run entirely on hydro and solar power. The onsite solar power plants meet around 6% of the airport’s electricity requirement.
Ayana Renewable Power Pvt Ltd (Ayana) announced plans to set up renewable energy projects totalling 2 gigawatts (GWs) with an investment of Rs. 12,000 crore (US$ 1.53 billion) in Karnataka.
India ranked third on the EY Renewable Energy Country Attractive Index 2021.
In February 2022, Creduce Technologies-HCPL JV announced winning the bid for India’s single largest hydropower carbon credits project with Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, which will create more than 80 million carbon credits.
In February 2022, Husk Power Systems, a renewable energy company working towards rural electrification, secured a US$ 4.2 million loan from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
In December 2021, India's largest energy provider, Tata Power, was awarded a contract by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to set up a 300 MW wind-solar hybrid power plant.
In October 2021, Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd. (RNESL) announced two acquisitions to build more capabilities. Both acquisitions – REC Solar Holdings AS (REC Group), a Norway-based firm, and Sterling & Wilson Solar, based in India – exceeded US$ 1 billion and are expected to contribute to Reliance’s target of achieving the capacity of 100 GW of solar energy at Jamnagar by 2030.
In October 2021, Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL) acquired SB Energy India for US$ 3.5 billion to strengthen its position in the renewable energy sector in India.
In August 2021, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) signed an investment agreement with Amp Energy India Private Limited to facilitate joint equity investments of US$ 200 million across Indian renewable energy projects.
In July 2021, National Thermal Power Corporation Renewable Energy Ltd. (NTPC REL), NTPC's fully-owned subsidiary, sent out a tender to domestic manufacturers to build India's first green hydrogen fueling station in Leh, Ladakh.
The NTPC is expected to commission India’s largest floating solar power plant in Ramagundam, Telangana by May-June 2022. The expected total installed capacity is 447MW.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) implemented large-scale central auctions for solar parks and has awarded contracts for 47 parks with over 25 GW of combined capacity.

Government initiatives

Some initiatives by the Government of India to boost India’s renewable energy sector are as follows:

The Rajasthan government signed an MoU with NTPC Green Energy for 28,500 MW of renewable energy-based projects, as part of the total 31,825 MW of power generation projects worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore (US$ 19.18 billion). This massive renewable energy investment is aimed at making Rajasthan self-reliant in the energy sector and significantly expanding the state's renewable power capacity.
In the Interim Budget for 2024-2025, The Government of India doubled funding for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, allocating Rs. 600 crores (US$ 72 million). Additionally, Rs. 17,490 crores (US$ 2.10 billion) were allocated for the Green Hydrogen Mission and the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme, highlighting a commitment to sustainable energy transition.
In the Interim Budget for 2024-2025, The fiscal allocation for solar power grid infrastructure development surged to Rs. 8,500 Crore (US$ 1.02 billion), a significant rise from the previous year's Rs. 4,970 Crore (US$ 0.60 billion).
As of January 2, 2024, the Government of India is implementing the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules, aimed at achieving gigawatt-scale manufacturing capacity. Under Tranche-II, with a budget allocation of Rs 19,500 crore (US$ 2.35 billion), Letters of Award were issued in April 2023 for the establishment of 39,600 MW of fully or partially integrated solar PV module manufacturing units.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has proposed the establishment of a 13,000 MW renewable energy (RE) capacity along with a 12,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Ladakh. On October 18, 2023, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the construction of an Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) to facilitate the power evacuation and grid integration of these RE projects in Ladakh.
Proposed solar cities and parks: The Solar Park Scheme launched in December 2014 with a capacity of 20,000 MW was expanded to 40,000 MW by March 2017. As of November 30, 2023, 50 solar parks have been approved, totaling around 37,490 MW capacity across 12 states. Of these, 10,401 MW has been commissioned, including 284 MW in 2023.
On February 13, 2024, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi launched PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, offering free rooftop solar electricity to 1 crore households, backed by subsidies and concessional loans.
On December 12, 2023, the Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power reported the installation of 140 MW solar power plants and 2.73 lakh standalone solar pumps under PM-KUSUM, aimed at farmer welfare and environmental sustainability.
In Budget 2023-24, Green Growth was identified as one of the nodes in the SAPTARISHI (7 priorities).
In Budget 2023-24, pumped storage projects received a push with a detailed framework to be formulated.
Union Budget 2023-24 envisions to create sustainable cities of tomorrow. To translate this, states and cities will be encouraged to undertake urban planning reforms and actions to transform our cities into 'sustainable cities of tomorrow.’
The Indian government's commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2070 and increasing its renewable energy target to 500 GW by 2030 at the COP26 summit has provided great support to the industry and spurred unprecedented growth.
In Budget 2023-24, US $1.02 billion (Rs. 8,300 crore) central sector support for ISTS infrastructure for 13 GW renewable energy from Ladakh was announced.
On November 19, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station in Arunachal Pradesh to the country. The project, which covers more than 80 kilometres and costs about Rs. 8,200 crore (US$ 1 billion), is located in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng District.
On November 9, Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds framework of India. The Paris Agreement's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets will be further strengthened by this approval, which will also aid in attracting foreign and domestic capital to green projects.
In the Union Budget 2022-23, the allocation for the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which is currently responsible for the development of the entire renewable energy sector, stood at Rs. 1,000 crore (US$ 132 million).
In the Budget, the government allocated Rs. 19,500 crore (US$ 2.57 billion) for a PLI scheme to boost manufacturing of high-efficiency solar modules.
In February 2022, Nepal and India agreed to form a Joint Hydro Development Committee to explore the possibility of viable hydropower projects.
In November 2021, at the Cop-26 Summit in Glasgow, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi made a promise to increase India’s renewable energy generation capacity to 500 GW and meet 50% of India’s energy needs through renewable means by the year 2030.
In October 2021, the Ministry of Power announced a new set of rules aimed at reducing financial stress for stakeholders and safeguarding timely cost recovery in electricity generation.
In August 2021, the Indian government proposed new rules for the purchase and consumption of green energy. The latest rules are part of government measures to encourage large-scale energy consumers, including industries, to leverage renewable energy sources for regular operations.
In July 2021, to encourage rooftop solar (RTS) throughout the country, notably in rural regions, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy plans to undertake Rooftop Solar Programme Phase II, which aims to install RTS capacity of 4,000 MW in the residential sector by 2022 with a provision of subsidy.
In July 2021, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) gave the go-ahead to NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of NTPC, to build a 4,750 MW renewable energy park at the Rann of Kutch in Khavada, Gujarat. This will be India's largest solar park to be developed by the country's leading power producer.
The Government of India has announced plans to implement a US$ 238 million National Mission on advanced ultra-supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation.
Indian Railways is making increased efforts through sustained energy efficient measures and maximum use of clean fuel to cut down emission levels by 33% by 2030.
The government has spent US$ 4.63 billion on hydroelectric projects to provide electricity to villages in Jammu and Kashmir from 2018-21.

Road Ahead

India has set a target to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation’s economy by less than 45% by the end of the decade, achieve 50% cumulative electric power installed by 2030 from renewables, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Low-carbon technologies could create a market worth up to $80 billion in India by 2030.

India‘s target is to produce five million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. The Green Hydrogen target is set at India’s electrolyzer manufacturing capacity is projected to reach 8 GW per year by 2025. The cumulative value of the green hydrogen market in India could reach $8 Bn by 2030 and India will require at least 50 gigawatts (GW) of electrolyzers or more to ramp up hydrogen production.

India’s ambitious renewable energy goals are transforming its power sector. The rising population and widespread electrification in rural homes are fueling the demand for energy to power homes, businesses and communities. Clean energy will reduce pollution levels as villages become self-sustainable with their use of clean energy. In 2022, India's renewable energy sector is expected to boom with a likely investment of US$ 15 billion this year, as the government focuses on electric vehicles, green hydrogen, and the manufacturing of solar equipment.

It is expected that by 2040, around 49% of the total electricity will be generated by renewable energy as more efficient batteries will be used to store electricity, which will further cut the solar energy cost by 66% as compared to the current cost. The use of renewables in place of coal will save India Rs. 54,000 crore (US$ 8.43 billion) annually. Around 15,000 MW of wind-solar hybrid capacity is expected to be added between 2020-25.

As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates, by 2029-30, the share of renewable energy generation would increase from 18% to 44%, while that of thermal is expected to reduce from 78% to 52%. The CEA also estimates India’s power requirement to grow to reach 817 GW by 2030.

References: Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Media Reports, Press Releases