India has now surpassed Germany in becoming the third-largest producer of electricity from wind and solar, according to a report by Ember. This development marks a significant achievement for India in its renewable energy journey, with wind and solar accounting for 15% of global electricity generation and India contributing 10%.
The growth in renewable energy, particularly solar power, has been a key factor driving India’s rise in global rankings. Ember's annual Global Electricity Review report reveals that global solar generation has doubled in just three years, surpassing 2,000 TWh in 2024. During this period, India’s solar output also significantly increased, reaching a 7% share of the country’s total electricity generation.
In 2024 alone, India added 24 GW of solar capacity, more than double the amount added in 2023. This positions India as the third-largest solar energy producer globally, following China and the United States.
In 2024, India's electricity demand grew by 5%, with renewable sources contributing 33% of this increase, while coal accounted for the majority at 64%. This marks a substantial shift compared to 2023 when coal contributed 91% of the increase. This shift reflects the growing role of renewable energy in India’s energy mix.
India's progress in renewable energy mirrors that of China in previous years. As China now meets much of its new electricity demand through renewables, India is expected to follow a similar path in the near future. By 2030, renewable sources could meet up to 75% of India’s increased electricity demand, provided large-scale renewable deployment continues accelerating.
India is already ahead of many developing nations in expanding renewable capacity, partly due to its strong domestic manufacturing base and the successful implementation of large-scale solar projects. The country’s expertise in deploying renewable projects at scale is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting future energy demands.
Solar power's rapid growth is not just a short-term solution but a long-term, cost-effective alternative to traditional energy sources. The cost of generating electricity from solar is now the lowest among all new energy sources, with solar’s deployment speed and minimal running costs making it a highly attractive option for countries like India, where energy demand is rising quickly.
Solar energy has demonstrated remarkable growth, increasing from 100 TWh to 2,000 TWh in just eight years, while wind power took 15 years and hydropower six decades to reach similar milestones. The addition of 593 GW of solar capacity globally in 2024 was unprecedented, making it the largest single-year increase in solar energy capacity to date.
