Representative image of clean energy.
Credit: iStock Photo
India said on Monday it has achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources — five years ahead of its 2030 target under the Paris Agreement, signalling accelerating momentum in the country's clean energy transition.
Why it's important
The announcement comes as India's renewable power output rose at its fastest pace since 2022 in the first half of 2025, while coal-fired generation declined nearly 3 per cent.
Fossil fuels still accounted for over two-thirds of the increase in power generation last year.
India plans to expand coal-fired capacity by 80 GW by 2032 to meet rising demand.
Context
The country had missed its 2022 renewable target of 175 GW, but ramped up solar and wind additions since then. India now targets 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 - including hydro and nuclear.
The government is also pushing for battery storage, circularity in solar and wind components, and green hydrogen to deepen decarbonisation.
By the numbers
The country added nearly 28 GW of solar and wind in 2024 and has already added 16.3 GW of wind and solar capacity in the five months through May, government data showed.
Excluding large hydro, renewable energy accounted for about 184.6 GW as of June end.