Indian solar PV installations grew by 24.5 GW in 2024, representing its largest annual increase
This growth was led by the utility-scale segment that rose by 2.8x with 18.5 GW capacity
Backed by the country’s PMSGMBY scheme, the rooftop solar segment improved too contributed with a 53% YoY increase in installations
India’s solar PV installations grew by more than twofold on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in 2024 with a record-breaking 24.5 GW deployed, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Wind energy contributed with 3.4 GW, representing a 21% annual increase.
India reports its installations in AC terms. In DC terms, the installed solar PV capacity in 2024 would be above 30 GW.
Solar thus added the lion’s share in the country’s renewable energy growth as it accounted for 47% of the total installed capacity in this space. As of March 2024, the country’s total estimated solar potential stood at 748.98 GW.
The 24.5 GW deployed in 2024 includes 18.5 GW of utility-scale solar, representing close to a 2.8x YoY jump. About 71% of this utility-scale capacity was installed in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu alone.
The rooftop solar segment also registered a 53% annual jump with 4.59 GW. This segment grew majorly due to the interest generated by the government’s flagship and the ‘world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative’ PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY). The MNRE says this scheme facilitated 7 lakh (700,000) rooftop solar installations within 10 months of its launch in 2024.
It targets this scheme to contribute 30 GW capacity exceeding 10 lakh or 1 million household installations by March 2025, and reaching 10 million by 2027 (see India Eyeing 30 GW Rooftop Solar Capacity With New Scheme).
In 2024, the off-grid solar segment also shined, with installations increasing 182% YoY and adding 1.48 GW capacity as rural India warms up to solar PV.
Another major government scheme, PM-KUSUM, which provides financial assistance to farmers by installing solar-powered irrigation systems in rural agricultural areas, has contributed with about 11.34 GW of solar energy capacity between January 2024 and November 2024, according to the MNRE.
At the end of 2024 extending till January 2025, India’s cumulative installed solar PV capacity reached 97.86 GW, consisting of 75.19 GW of ground-mounted PV, 15.67 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar, 4.23 GW of off-grid solar, and 2.77 GW AC of solar component in hybrid projects. This represents a 10.8x increase in its capacity from 9.01 GW in March 2016.
As of January 2025, India’s aggregate non-fossil fuel based energy capacity increased to 217.62 GW. The national target is to expand this capacity to 500 GW by 2030.