India adds a record 51 GW of renewable capacity in FY26

By G Balachandra

India’s energy transition is gathering remarkable pace, with milestones being announced regularly. A day after highlighting progress in advanced nuclear technology, the renewable energy sector announced its highest-ever annual new capacity addition—50.9 GW (excluding large hydro) in the fiscal year ending March 2026. The surge has been led by solar power, whose installed capacity has now crossed 150 GW, with a record annual addition of 44.6 GW in FY26.

The recent momentum reflects a sustained build-out. Over the past three fiscal years, India has added around 98 GW of renewable capacity, signalling a period of rapid expansion. Including large hydro and nuclear, total capacity additions in FY26 reached 55.3 GW.

Renewable energy capacity (excluding large hydro) has risen to 223 GW as of March 2026. Much of this growth has come in the post-pandemic years, with about 127 GW added over the past five years. Solar energy alone contributed an impressive 109 GW during this period, highlighting the speed and scale of deployment.

Interestingly, rooftop solar has also gained pace. With an addition of 8.7 GW in FY26, total installed capacity has now crossed 25 GW, reaching 25.7 GW as of March 2026, up from 6.6 GW in March 2022.

India’s progress is also reflected globally. The country now ranks third in renewable energy installed capacity, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. In 2025, India added around 38 GW of solar capacity, contributing meaningfully to the global addition of about 511 GW.

Other segments are also strengthening the overall energy mix. Wind energy posted its highest-ever annual addition of 6.05 GW, taking total capacity to 56 GW. Large hydro added 3.7 GW, while nuclear contributed 0.7 GW in FY26. Together, these have taken India’s total non-fossil energy capacity to 283 GW.

On the generation side as well, clean energy continues to rise in India’s energy mix. The share of non-fossil sources in total generation stood at around 29.2% in FY26, while the share of renewable energy (including large hydro) was 26.2%.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.