India’s Power Generation Capacity Surges to 560 GW with Renewables Leading the Charge

New Delhi, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : India has achieved a significant milestone in its energy sector, with total installed power generation capacity reaching approximately 560 gigawatts (GW) as of October 2026. This figure more than doubles the capacity recorded in 2014, which stood at 249 GW. Notably, renewable energy sources now constitute 55% of the country’s total power generation capacity, according to an official fact sheet released on Friday.

As of July 31, 2026, India’s renewable energy capacity was reported at 308 GW, positioning the nation as the third largest globally in terms of installed renewable energy capacity. Between July 2024 and June 2026, the renewable energy sector attracted an impressive investment of $63.7 billion.

Solar energy has emerged as the dominant force in expanding renewable energy in India. By October 31, 2026, the country’s installed solar capacity reached around 175 GW, a significant leap from just 2.8 GW in 2014. In 2025 alone, India added over 37 GW of solar capacity, making it the second-largest market for solar energy expansion worldwide, just behind the United States, which added 34 GW during the same period.

The government’s PM Surya Ghar free electricity scheme has played a crucial role in promoting rooftop solar installations. Launched in February 2024 with a budget of ₹75,021 crores, the initiative aims to provide rooftop solar solutions to one crore households. By November 2, 2026, approximately 6.5 million homes had received rooftop solar systems, with beneficiaries receiving around ₹35,800 crores in subsidies.

According to government data, approximately 2.1 million families have seen their electricity bills reduced to zero by October 2026. The total installed rooftop solar capacity under this scheme has reached 19.1 GW.

Additionally, on July 31, 2026, the government approved the Prime Minister’s Solar Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY), allocating a budget of ₹5,070 crores to develop floating solar photovoltaic projects with energy storage systems, targeting an installation of 5,000 megawatts of floating solar capacity.

In the fiscal year 2025-26, India added 6.05 GW of new wind energy capacity, marking the highest increase in wind energy capacity in a single fiscal year to date and representing a 46% increase compared to the previous fiscal year.

As of October 29, 2026, the country’s bio-power production capacity had reached 11.75 GW, with rapid growth in the compressed biogas sector, where 839 plants were registered by November 2, 2026.

In March 2026, the government also approved a small hydroelectric development plan for the fiscal years 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a budget of ₹2,584.60 crores. This initiative aims to develop an additional 1,500 megawatts of small hydroelectric capacity, particularly in hilly and northeastern regions.

The government asserts that India is steadily transitioning towards a clean and renewable energy-based power system. Efforts are being made to enhance capacities in solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy while promoting domestic manufacturing and new technologies such as energy storage, green hydrogen, and geothermal energy.

These initiatives are expected to help meet the nation’s energy needs through clean sources and foster a sustainable energy framework for the future.