India is world’s 3rd largest solar producer with 125 GW capacity: Minister

New Delhi: With approximately 125 GW of solar capacity, India is now the world’s third largest solar producer, according to Pralhad Joshi, Minister of New and Renewable Energy.

Owing to its clear vision and the consistent policies, India achieved its renewable energy targets five years ahead of the schedule, crossing the 50 per cent mark in overall installed electricity capacity from non-fossil resources, the minister said during the curtain-raiser event for the 8th session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) assembly, scheduled from October 27-30 in the national capital.

Launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris, ISA is the largest treaty-based intergovernmental organisation from the Global South, bringing together 124 Member and Signatory Countries.

This high-level ministerial gathering comes weeks ahead of COP30 in Brazil, shaping priorities for scaling solar energy, unlocking transformative finance, charting technology and policy roadmaps, and building skill ecosystems to accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition.

“India’s success story is more than just numbers; it is about the people. We have seen firsthand how decentralised solar transforms lives, bring light to rural homes, powers local health centres and gives new tools to our farmers. With PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, more than 20 lakh households are benefiting from solar power,” according to Joshi.

He further stated that under the PM-KUSUM scheme, “we are taking this transformation to the heartland of India”.

“The three components of the scheme target the installation of 10 gigawatts of small solar plants; support 1.4 million off-grid solar pumps; and solarise 3.5 million grid-connected agricultural pumps. Together, these efforts are ensuring that clean energy reaches the last mile. It is this combination of scale and inclusiveness that defines India’s energy transition,” the minister noted.

Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, noted, “Today we are the third largest in solar power, fourth largest in wind power and overall, we are now the third largest renewable energy installation in the world.

“Additionally, in manufacturing of solar modules we are the second largest after China. Our manufacturing is not only confined to solar modules but also extends to areas like green hydrogen which is a pivotal part of our energy security—and is going ahead as per our goal of manufacturing about 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2031,” he highlighted.

According to Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA, global renewable energy is at an inflection point.

“It took oil 25 years to reach 1,000 GW — renewables doubled that in just two years. For the first time, renewable generation has surpassed fossil generation. This is a decisive moment for the Global South to lead,” he added.

IANS