India Becomes World’s Third-Largest Driver of Solar Growth, Adds 46 GW in Two Years

 India has become the world’s third-largest contributor to global solar energy growth, adding 46 GW to global solar installations between 2022 and 2024, union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday.

Speaking at the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025 (GELS) in Puri, Joshi highlighted India’s remarkable clean energy progress.

He said the country’s solar capacity has increased from 2.8 GW to around 130 GW in just 11 years,a staggering rise of over 4,500 percent.

The union Minister said India is playing a pivotal role in the global renewable energy boom. In the current financial year alone, the country has recorded its highest-ever addition of 31.25 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity, including 24.28 GW of solar power.

He also noted the accelerated global shift to clean energy, pointing out that while the world took nearly 70 years to reach its first 1 TW of renewable capacity (in 2022), it added the second terawatt within just two years.

Unveiling a major initiative for Odisha, Joshi announced approval of a consumer-owned Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model under the PM Surya Ghar scheme.

This includes installation of 1.5 lakh rooftop solar systems of 1 kW each, expected to benefit 7–8 lakh people, especially from economically weaker households.

Odisha is already showing strong progress in clean energy adoption, with 3.1 GW of installed renewable capacity — accounting for 34 percent of the State’s total power capacity.

Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana, 1.6 lakh households have applied for rooftop solar systems, 23,000 installations have been completed, and 19,200 families have received subsidies exceeding Rs.147 crore.

Joshi acknowledged that India holds the world’s fifth-largest coal reserves and is the second-largest coal consumer, but emphasised that the country is steadily increasing its renewable energy share to balance the energy mix.

He stressed that global mechanisms are shaping industrial competitiveness, making India’s transition to renewable energy both urgent and strategically important.

The Minister credited the rapid expansion of renewable energy to the ecosystem created under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,including improved ease of doing business, rising investor confidence, infrastructure readiness, demand-driven schemes and strong Centre–State cooperation.

Expressing optimism for Odisha’s future, he praised the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and the people of the State for promoting clean energy and green technologies.

The Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS), being held in Puri from 5–7 December 2025, aims to build a vibrant Community of Practice involving policymakers, innovators, and global industry leaders.

The summit focuses on accelerating India’s clean energy transition and shaping the future of the global energy landscape.