New Delhi: India’s power sector has seen robust expansion driven by rising demand, infrastructure development, and strong policy support for both conventional and renewable energy sources over the past 10 years.
The country’s total installed capacity has jumped by over 56 per cent from 305 gigawatts (GW) in 2015–16 to 476 GW as of June 2025, according to official figures released on Sunday.
Electricity generation has increased from 1,168 billion units (BU) in 2015–16 to an estimated 1,824 BU in 2024–25. Power shortages dropped from 4.2 per cent in 2013–14 to 0.1 per cent in 2024–25.
Besides, over 2.8 crore households were electrified, and per capita electricity consumption increased by 45.8 per cent during this period.
India’s total installed power capacity of 476 GW is led by 240 GW of thermal, 110.9 GW of solar, and 51.3 GW of wind power, marking a strong shift towards renewable energy and energy security.
As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India plays a central role in the global energy transition. Its energy demand is expected to grow at the fastest rate among major economies, driven by sustained economic growth. Consequently, India’s share in global primary energy consumption is projected to double by 2035.
Over the past eleven years, India has made remarkable progress in the renewable energy sector. In line with the commitment made at COP26, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is working tirelessly to achieve 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
As of June 2025, the country has already achieved 235.7 GW from non-fossil fuel sources, comprising 226.9 GW of renewable energy and 8.8 GW of nuclear power, accounting for 49 per cent of the total installed power generation capacity of 476 GW.
This marks a significant step toward India’s decarbonisation goals and its pledge to a sustainable future.
As per IRENA RE Statistics 2025, India ranks 4th globally in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity, 4th in Wind Power, and 3rd in Solar Power capacity.
Expansion in renewable energy capacity:
Installed RE capacity has grown from 76.37 GW in March 2014 to 226.79 GW in June 2025, an increase of nearly 3 times, with its share in overall power generation increasing from 17.20 per cent to around 22.2 per cent.
In addition to the installed capacity, 176.70 GW worth of renewable energy projects are under implementation, with 72.06 GW under bidding stages.
The country’s solar capacity has increased more than 39 times, from 2.82 GW in 2014 to 110.9 GW in 2025, including a record 23.83 GW added in 2024–25 alone.
There have been impressive gains in manufacturing capacity as well as with Solar PV module capacity surging from 2.3 GW to 88 GW, a 38-fold increase. Solar PV cell capacity grew from 1.2 GW to 25 GW, a 21-fold increase. Energy Sector
India has also emerged as a global leader in wind energy, particularly in onshore wind power. With an evolving manufacturing ecosystem, supportive policies, and new strides in offshore development, the country is making significant progress in both capacity addition and infrastructure. India currently ranks 4th in the world for installed wind power capacity.
–IANS
