India's Renewable Energy Sector Achieves Historic Milestone with Record Capacity Addition
India's energy transition is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, marked by significant achievements across various sectors. Following recent advancements in nuclear technology, the renewable energy industry has announced its highest-ever annual new capacity addition, reaching 50.9 gigawatts (GW) for the fiscal year ending March 2026, excluding large hydro projects.
Solar Power Drives Unprecedented Growth
The surge in renewable capacity has been predominantly led by solar power, which has now surpassed 150 GW in installed capacity. In FY26 alone, solar energy contributed a record-breaking annual addition of 44.6 GW, underscoring its pivotal role in India's clean energy strategy.
This recent momentum reflects a sustained and robust build-out phase. Over the past three fiscal years, India has added approximately 98 GW of renewable capacity, indicating a period of rapid expansion and commitment to green energy goals.
Comprehensive Capacity Expansion Across Energy Segments
Including contributions from large hydro and nuclear power, total capacity additions in FY26 amounted to 55.3 GW. Renewable energy capacity, excluding large hydro, has risen to 223 GW as of March 2026.
Much of this growth has occurred in the post-pandemic years, with around 127 GW added over the past five years. Solar energy alone contributed an impressive 109 GW during this period, highlighting the remarkable speed and scale of deployment in the sector.
Rooftop Solar Gains Significant Traction
Rooftop solar installations have also gained substantial pace, with an addition of 8.7 GW in FY26. This has elevated the total installed capacity to 25.7 GW as of March 2026, a significant increase from 6.6 GW in March 2022, demonstrating growing adoption at the consumer level.
Global Recognition and Strengthening Energy Mix
India's progress in renewable energy is now recognized globally, with the country ranking third in installed capacity according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. In 2025, India added approximately 38 GW of solar capacity, making a meaningful contribution to the global addition of about 511 GW.
Other segments are further strengthening the overall energy mix. Wind energy posted its highest-ever annual addition of 6.05 GW, bringing total capacity to 56 GW. Large hydro added 3.7 GW, while nuclear power contributed 0.7 GW in FY26. Collectively, these additions have elevated India's total non-fossil energy capacity to 283 GW.
Rising Share of Clean Energy in Generation
On the generation front, clean energy continues to increase its share in India's energy mix. The share of non-fossil sources in total generation stood at around 29.2% in FY26, while renewable energy, including large hydro, accounted for 26.2% of total generation.
