India added a record 44 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2025, pushing the total installed capacity in the country to 150 GW, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has highlighted in reply to a Thane-based NGO.
In a response to NGO NatConnect's Earth Day appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the ministry's under secretary Pradeep Kumar said major programmes like PM Surya Ghar, PM-KUSUM, and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme have driven this growth.
Of the 150 GW total, over 44 GW was installed in 2025, the letter said.
1 May 2026
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This annual addition places India among global leaders, surpassing the United States (30-40 GW) and trailing only the EU and China, NatConnect director B N Kumar said.
He contrasted the 44 GW annual jump with the pre-2014 era, when India's total solar capacity was a mere 2.5 GW.
NatConnect urged PM PM Modi to launch a "mass solar mission" modelled after the Swachh Bharat campaign to decentralize clean energy as a people-driven movement is essential to reduce India's 85 per cent crude oil import dependence and bolster energy security.
