India emerging as a major hub of renewable energy generator, says Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

India has emerged as a major player in generating renewable energy, a mark of transition from fossil fuel energy, by adding 31.25 gigawatt, including 24.28 GW of solar power, in the current financial year alone, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said in Puri on Saturday (December 6, 2025).

Speaking at Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025, Mr. Joshi said: “It took nearly 70 years to reach the milestone one Terawatt of power from renewable sources. However, the second Terawatt capacity in renewable energy sector was achieved in just two years.” It is indicative of India’s growth in the renewable energy sector, he said.

“India is a key driver of this explosive global surge in renewable energy. In the last 11 years, the country’s solar capacity has grown from 2.8 GW to around 130 GW, a rise of more than 4,500%. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, India contributed 46 GW to global solar additions, becoming the third-largest contributor,” said the Minister.

Similarly, module manufacturing in 2014 was 2 GW that has now grown to 120 GW, he informed.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi addressing the gathering at the event in Puri, Odisha on Saturday. Photo: Special Arrangement

Although India holds the world’s fifth-largest coal reserves and is the second largest consumer of coal, a balance approach is needed, said the Minister.

Mr. Joshi said Odisha was rapidly emerging as a major renewable energy hub with 3.1 GW renewable energy capacity and 34% clean share in its power mix.

The Union Minister said the Centre has sanctioned 1.5 lakh new rooftop solar systems (1 kW each). “Over 1.6 lakh households in Odisha applied for rooftop solar; 23,000 installations completed with ₹147 crore subsidy transferred to beneficiaries. Under PM Surya Ghar, 1.5 lakh rooftop solar systems (1 kW each) have been approved for Odisha, benefiting 7-8 lakh people,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Odisha was committed to generating clean energy targeting generation of 200 GW solar power alone. Besides, a green hydrogen project in Paradip and coal gasification project in Sundargarh district were being taken up, he said.

Energy Ministers of Odisha Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, his Delhi and Rajasthan counterparts Ashish Sood and Hiralal Nagar respectively spoke on the occasion. The two-day-long summit orgnised by Odisha government and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change will be attended by Chief Ministers and Energy Ministers of different States.