India is the world's 3rd largest consumer of electricity and has the world's 3rd largest renewable energy installed capacity. Renewable sources account for more than 50% of India's total installed electricity capacity, a target achieved in 2025, five years ahead of schedule under its Paris Agreement commitments. , it also has the world's 3rd highest solar energy capacity, 4th highest wind energy capacity and 5th highest hydroelectric power capacity. India was the world's first country to set up a ministry of non-conventional energy resources, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in 1982, which has been responsible for the development and research of renewable energy infrastructure in the country since.
Because of availability and other constraints favoring fossil fuel and nuclear sources, India's power generation remains significantly skewed in favor of fossil fuel and nuclear sources roughly 70% of total power generated in 2025 despite possessing renewable energy infrastructure with more than 50% installed power capacity. Solar, wind and run-of-the-river hydroelectricity are environment-friendly, cheaper power sources. They are used as "must-run" sources in India to cater for the base load, and the polluting and foreign-import dependent coal-fired power is increasingly being moved from the "must-run base load" power generation to the load following power generation (mid-priced and mid-merit on-demand need-based intermittently-produced electricity) to meet the peaking demand only. Some of the daily peak demand in India is already met with the renewable peaking hydro power capacity. Solar and wind power with 4-hour battery storage systems, as a source of dispatchable generation compared with new coal and new gas plants, is already cost-competitive in India without subsidy. Based on plant load factor (PLF) trends, Ember energy and Centre for Research on Energy and clean Air, CREA project a fall in coal and fossil fuel PLF from 2025-2030 and question long term viability of fossil fuel sources in India. CREA also notes flexibility of renewable energy capacity as a more challenging task than renewable capacity adequacy.
The Union budget 2026 allocated ₹600 crore to the Green Energy Corridor for developing 6,000 km of intra-state transmission, improving renewable evacuation. In addition, funding for the Reformed Linked Distribution Scheme (RLDS) has increased 15% to ₹18,000 crore, focusing on smart metering and network upgrades. India at United Nations Climate Change conference 2021 (COP 26) set target of achieving 500 GW non-fossil fuel target by 2030, more than doubling installed non-fossil fuel capacity at the time, while also targeting net zero emissions by 2070. In 2025, India's power sector emission was reported to be 1,457 MtCO2, accounting for 10% of global power sector emissions.
Global comparison
Generation India primarily relies on hydro, solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and fossil fuel sources for electricity. It is the 3rd largest generator of energy.
Generation capacity , India has the world's 3rd largest renewable energy installed capacity below China and USA, the world's 3rd highest solar energy capacity, 4th highest wind energy capacity and 5th highest hydroelectric power capacity. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi said India generated 51.5 percent of the country's total electricity demand in July 2025. India's goal is to achieve 500 gigawatts of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
Attractiveness score Ernst & Young's Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) ranking evaluated India in terms of installed capacity and investment in renewable energy as follows: +Global RECAI Rank in June 20242024 Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) }, Ernst & Young, 2024. Country Score RECAI Rank USA 73.6 1 China 72.0 2India 66.5 7
+Technology-specific RECAI scores in June 2024 Technology India USA China Solar PV 61.8 56.5 61.5 Solar CSP power plants 48.7 51.2 55.8 Hydroelectricity 48.2 39.1 52.9 Biofuels 44.3 30.1 52.6 Onshore wind power 51.5 59.7 53.6 Offshore wind power 25.7 61.2 57.8 Geothermal power 24.7 49.2 30.6 Battery energy storage system 31.8 57.6 57.1
Renewable electricity generation All time maximum solar and wind power generation is 65,804 MW and 28,974 MW , respectively. 29 July 2025 noted India's highest-ever renewable energy generation as a proportion of overall daily electricity generation, with renewable sources generating 51.5 per cent of the country’s total electricity demand of 203 GW on that day.
+Year-Wise Renewable Energy Generation trend 2014-2025 (in TWh) Source Large Hydro Small Hydro Solar Wind Bio mass Other Total renewable Total utility power % Renewable power 2014–15 129.2 8.1 4.6 28.2 15.0 0.4 191.0 1,105 17.28% 2015–16 121.4 8.4 7.5 28.6 16.7 0.3 187.2 1,168 16.02% 2016–17 122.3 7.73 12.1 46.0 14.2 0.2 204.1 1,236 16.52% 2017–18 126.1 5.1 25.9 52.7 15.3 0.4 228.0 1,303 17.50% 2018–19 135.0 8.7 39.3 62.0 16.4 0.4 261.8 1,372 19.1% 2019–20 156.0 9.4 50.1 64.6 13.9 0.4 294.3 1,385 21.25% 2020–21 150.3 10.3 60.4 60.1 14.8 1.6 297.5 1,373 21.67% 2021–22 151.7 10.4 73.5 68.6 16.1 2.3 322.6 1,484 21.74% 2022–23 162.06 11.17 102.01 71.81 16.02 2.53 365.59 1,617.42 22.60% 2023–24 134.05 9.49 115.98 83.39 14.24 2.75 359.89 1,739.09 20.69% 2024–25 132.81 10.39 114.43 73.62 9.85 2.39 343.48 1,379.93 24.89%
Installed renewable electricity generation capacity Since 2019, large hydropower, which falls under the authority of the Ministry of Power, is also counted towards the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets. These RPO targets mandate the DISCOMs (Distribution Companies) of various states to source a certain percentage of their power from renewable energy sources, which are divided into three categories: wind, hydropower, and other renewables.
+Year-Wise Renewable Energy Generation Capacity trend as of 31 March, 2014-2026 (in GW) Year Wind Bio Hydro Solar Total grid capacity% RenewableBiomassWTEOff-Grid WTESmall HydroLarge HydroMountedRooftopHybrid 2014 21.0 8.0 0.1 0.1 3.8 40.5 2.6 285.5 26.7% 2015 23.4 8.3 0.1 0.1 4.1 41.3 3.7 274.9 29.5% 2016 26.8 8.7 0.1 0.2 4.3 42.8 6.8 305.2 29.4% 2017 32.3 8.8 0.1 0.2 4.4 44.5 12.3 326.8 31.4% 2018 34.1 9.4 0.1 0.2 4.5 45.3 20.6 1.1 344.0 33.5% 2019 35.6 9.8 0.1 0.2 4.6 45.4 26.4 1.8 356.1 34.8% 2020 37.7 9.9 0.1 0.2 4.7 45.7 32.1 2.5 370.0 35.9% 2021 39.2 10.1 0.2 0.2 4.8 46.2 35.6 4.4 382.1 36.8% 2022 40.4 10.2 0.2 0.3 4.8 46.7 45.8 6.6 399.5 38.8% 2023 42.6 10.2 0.2 0.3 4.9 46.9 53.8 8.9 1.7 416.1 40.7% 2024 45.9 10.4 0.2 0.3 5.0 46.9 64.4 11.9 2.6 442.0 42.4% 2025 50.0 10.7 0.3 0.5 5.1 47.7 81.0 17.0 2.9 475.2 45.3% 2026 56.1 10.9 0.3 0.6 5.2 51.4 114.9 25.7 3.9 532.7 50.9%
+STATES/UTs2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25NORTHERN REGIONHaryana510.49519.11547.19762.511242.131362.091832.922449.94Himachal Pradesh10514.3010707.7510768.9110916.6111303.4911330.4211356.1612196.18Jammu & Kashmir3650.223664.103581.113588.113551.613556.123595.373624.42Ladakh0.000.0089.0089.00136.44137.79139.79142.59Punjab2626.982522.382566.862743.802864.122961.933163.923270.42Rajasthan7289.368223.7310134.9710812.3517451.6222809.0527103.8934136.34Uttar Pradesh3447.253739.463900.974563.074985.125282.655697.176223.91Uttarakhand4379.834426.884437.964589.244787.154909.144971.945010.77Chandigarh26.0135.5241.3645.9755.1758.6965.5278.85Delhi123.03180.35218.62246.43270.12302.26340.51397.40Northern Total32567.4734019.2836286.9538357.0946646.9752710.1458267.1967530.82NORTH-EASTERN REGIONArunachal Pradesh517.00655.69955.981256.271257.341259.751259.901270.46Assam378.39414.58433.86437.67504.05534.04542.29582.65Manipur115.28118.66120.43121.84122.70122.73123.49124.24Meghalaya418.85372.18372.18372.18372.48372.48395.07395.11Mizoram100.16101.20102.52103.45104.37133.49135.78135.86Nagaland108.51108.51108.51108.58108.71110.71110.84110.84Tripura24.5324.5328.9129.5730.9033.6134.4737.25North-Eastern Total1662.721795.352122.392429.562500.552566.812601.842656.41WESTERN REGIONChhattisgarh785.42850.77864.89886.52989.081419.821683.391828.35Goa1.084.095.297.9520.3426.8845.4758.43Gujarat9339.4510697.7212683.7715204.2518577.9021425.8527461.7233393.03Madhya Pradesh6445.136864.877285.757526.977703.888140.089333.3710827.70Maharashtra11519.2112421.6912822.2713382.8513704.0815804.5017530.1222401.46Dadar & Nagar Haveli / Daman & Diu16.0719.9325.3246.0146.1846.4746.4751.87Western Total28106.3630859.0733687.2937054.5541041.4646863.6056100.5468560.95EASTERN REGIONBihar346.18352.23365.09376.63387.35389.60450.15539.26Jharkhand320.14267.87273.80288.21307.14324.19395.55434.06Odisha2364.942681.682686.382715.632771.642782.572825.032958.84Sikkim2222.982222.992223.052223.052338.792341.802344.152344.67West Bengal1747.461849.291888.031923.441928.151962.771982.132112.18Andaman & Nicobar12.0517.2217.6834.7134.7435.1635.1635.16Eastern Total7013.757391.287454.037561.677767.817836.098032.178424.17SOUTHERN REGIONAndhra Pradesh8060.589560.0210091.4010696.1010821.6010970.2011029.3012114.48Karnataka16241.6017524.4018918.1019149.3019593.8020408.4021441.9023917.64Kerala2282.062290.712304.352428.922527.202957.103229.463853.38Tamil Nadu13451.7214909.4016588.8017476.7018277.5020098.6022161.6025241.36Telangana6507.486405.966442.856796.597364.797510.977604.407688.34Lakshadweep3.143.143.273.273.273.274.974.97Pondicherry0.343.325.699.5113.6935.5349.9154.51Southern Total46546.9250696.9554354.4656560.3958601.8561984.0765521.5472874.68Others47.6649.3149.3149.3149.3149.3149.3149.31Grand Total115944.90124811.20133954.50142012.60156607.90172010.00190572.70220096.35
Targets
With the Paris Agreement's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions targets set in 2016, India made commitment of achieving 50% of its total installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 which it achieved five years ahead of date in June 2025.
Target year Renewable energy capacity target (GW) Comments2032600National Electricity Plan (NEP) by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects 600 GW non-fossil fuel by 2032 and 300 GW of conventional capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear power. 2030 500 Includes nuclear and large hydro power.Set in 2019 at United Nations Climate Change conference 2021 (COP 26), with 15 times solar and 2 times wind power capacity increase compared to April 2016 installed capacity and more than doubling non-fossil installed capacity at the time. 2022 175 Excludes nuclear and large hydro power.Includes 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 5 small hydro, 10 GW Biomass power, and 0.168 GW Waste-to-Power. This target was reached on January 31 2025.
Sources of renewable energy
Hydroelectric power
, India ranks 5th globally for installed hydroelectric power capacity and is the largest installed renewable energy capacity in India, also with the largest share of generated electricity from renewable energy sources in India. Small hydropower, defined to be generated at facilities with nameplate capacities up to 25 MW, comes under the ambit of the Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE); while large hydro, defined as above 25 MW, comes under the ambit of the Ministry of Power.
India's hydroelectric power potential is estimated at 148,700 MW at 60% load factor. For the fiscal year 2025, the total hydroelectric power generated in India was the highest among renewable energy generated despite solar having had 2-3 times more installed capacity, with an average capacity factor of 40%, the highest among other renewable energy sources. India also has a vast potential of pumped hydroelectric energy storage which is used economically for converting the non-dispatchable renewable energy like wind, solar and hydro power in to base/peak load power supply for its energy needs.
Solar power