India records 45 GW solar build‑out
India reported a record annual solar capacity addition of 45 GW in the last fiscal year, marking a substantial expansion of renewable infrastructure. The figure was shared publicly by Assam's chief minister as part of investment and energy updates. (x.com)
India added about 45 gigawatts of solar power in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2026, according to government data. (mnre.gov.in) The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s year-wise table shows 43.16 gigawatts of total renewable additions in 2025-26, including 37.96 gigawatts of solar and 5.09 gigawatts of wind. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cited the broader solar build-out at roughly 45 gigawatts in a public post on April 9, 2026. (mnre.gov.in, x.com) India’s cumulative solar capacity reached 150.26 gigawatts by March 31, 2026, according to the ministry’s physical progress page. The government’s April 2026 statement put total non-fossil power capacity at 283.46 gigawatts, including solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, and nuclear. (mnre.gov.in, pib.gov.in) The jump comes after a record 15.03 gigawatts of solar additions in 2024-25 and 12.78 gigawatts in 2023-24, based on the same ministry series. That means 2025-26 solar additions were more than double the prior fiscal year’s pace. (mnre.gov.in) India is building toward a 2030 target of 500 gigawatts of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources. The government said it crossed the separate milestone of 50 percent of cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in June 2025, five years ahead of schedule. (pib.gov.in) Solar has become the largest piece of India’s renewable build-out. The ministry’s latest breakdown lists 114.87 gigawatts of ground-mounted solar, 25.73 gigawatts of grid-connected rooftop solar, 3.86 gigawatts from hybrid projects’ solar component, and 5.80 gigawatts of off-grid solar. (mnre.gov.in) Independent market trackers had already flagged a sharp acceleration before the fiscal-year data landed. Mercom India reported 25.2 gigawatts of solar installed in calendar year 2024, up from 8.3 gigawatts in 2023, with delayed utility-scale projects driving much of the surge. (mercomindia.com) The policy push has run alongside a manufacturing push. A government note published in 2025 said India’s solar module manufacturing capacity rose from 38 gigawatts to 74 gigawatts during 2024-25. (pib.gov.in) The next test is whether India can keep annual additions near this level while expanding transmission lines and integrating variable power into the grid. For now, the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 stands as the country’s biggest solar build-out on record. (mnre.gov.in, mercomindia.com)
