SYLLABUS
GS-3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Context: 2025 Marks Highest-Ever Renewable Energy Expansion in India’s Energy Transition Journey.
More on the News
- India added a record 44.5 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2025 (till November), nearly doubling additions compared to the previous year.
- The total renewable energy installed capacity reached 253.96 GW, while non-fossil capacity touched 262.74 GW, forming over 51.5% of total electricity capacity.
- Solar and wind energy emerged as the main drivers of this expansion, supported by policy reforms, manufacturing incentives and flagship government schemes.
Overall Renewable Energy Status in India:
- India is pursuing the target of 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, as announced at COP-26.
- India achieved 50% non-fossil installed power capacity in June 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 target set under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.
- Non-fossil installed capacity crossed 250 GW in August 2025 and rose further to 262.74 GW by November 2025.
- The total electricity installed capacity stands at 509.64 GW, with renewables and nuclear forming the majority share.
- On 29 July 2025, renewables met 51.5% of India’s total electricity demand, marking a historic milestone.
Solar Energy Progress
- Solar capacity addition reached 34.98 GW in 2025, significantly higher than the previous year.
- Installed solar capacity rose to 132.85 GW, registering over 41% growth year-on-year.
- Solar crossed the 100 GW milestone in January 2025, highlighting rapid scale-up.
- Solar Parks and CPSU Phase-II schemes contributed through large-scale project commissioning.
- GST on key solar components was reduced to 5%, lowering project costs.
Wind Energy Growth
- Wind capacity addition stood at 5.82 GW in 2025, exceeding last year’s pace.
- Installed wind capacity reached 53.99 GW, crossing the 50 GW milestone in March 2025.
- Revised guidelines were issued to promote testing and certification of new turbine models.
- Wind manufacturing standards were tightened through ALMM-Wind to encourage domestic production and data security.
Other Renewable Sources
- Bioenergy saw commissioning of multiple CBG plants, biomass units and biopower facilities during 2025.
- Small hydro capacity remained stable with incremental additions under implementation.
- A National Policy on Geothermal Energy (2025) was notified to tap untapped geothermal potential.
India’s Renewable Energy Initiative
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana: This initiative saw nearly 14.43 lakh rooftop solar systems installed in 2025, targeting one crore households.
- National Green Hydrogen Mission: The Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCI) was introduced in April 2025, with incentives supporting a production capacity of 450,000 tons-per-annum (TPA).
- PM-KUSUM Scheme: By November 2025, over 9.42 lakh standalone solar agricultural pumps were installed, and 10.99 lakh grid-connected pumps were solarized.
- National Policy on Geothermal Energy (2025): India’s first comprehensive framework to commercially harness geothermal resources for clean, reliable, and round-the-clock power, especially in remote and tectonically active regions.