India’s Solar Capacity to Surpass Coal by Nearly 200 GW by 2036: Pralhad Joshi

India’s installed solar power capacity is projected to overtake coal by 2036, surpassing it by nearly 200 GW, Union Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi at an event.

Speaking at the event, Joshi said that solar energy would become the country’s largest source of installed power capacity, with solar capacity expected to reach 510 GW compared with 315 GW of coal-based capacity.

Citing the Central Electricity Authority’s National Generation Adequacy Plan for 2026-27 to 2035-36, Joshi said that India is projected to have 786 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2035-36, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the country’s total installed power generation capacity of 1,121 GW.

He said that investments in India’s energy sector are expected to reach USD 170 billion in 2026 as renewable energy increasingly becomes a key driver of economic growth. The country’s non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity rose 22 percent year-on-year in June, supported by capacity additions under decentralised programmes, including 13.84 GW under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and 14.97 GW under PM-KUSUM.

Joshi added that the PM Surya Ghar scheme is expected to cross 50 lakh beneficiaries over the next two weeks. He also noted that India’s power consumption increased by nearly 12 percent in June.

Meanwhile, ReNew CEO Sumant Sinha said that  India needs to urgently strengthen its grid infrastructure and energy storage systems to manage the challenges arising from higher renewable energy penetration.

Sinha said that renewable energy already accounts for 15 to 20 percent of grid power and that simply adding more renewable generation without improving grid absorption capacity would no longer be sufficient. He highlighted the emerging duck-curve effect, with surplus electricity during the day and shortages in the evening, leading to sharp price fluctuations.

According to Sinha, batteries and improved grid management will be critical to balancing the growing share of renewable energy. He added that the rapid rise in renewable capacity was foreseeable and that the power system should have been prepared earlier to manage the transition.