India likely to cross target of 300 GW of renewable energy by August-end: Prahlad Joshi

The minister said the country’s rapid growth in the clean energy sector will be backed up by considerable growth through energy storage.

Published on: Jul 23, 2026, 08:48:07 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok, New Delhi

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India is likely to cross the target of installing 300 GW of renewable energy by the end of next month, Union minister for renewable energy Prahlad Joshi said on Wednesday, stating the country’s rapid growth in the clean energy sector will be backed up by considerable growth through energy storage. Speaking at event on sustainability, the Minister said the country is expected to have 786 GWs in non-fossil fuel capacity by 2035-36, which will account for nearly 70% of India’s installed power capacity.

An aerial view of the world’s largest renewable energy plant, the 30 GW Khavda Renewable Energy Park, in Kutch. (ANI)

“In another month or so, India will reach 300 GW of non-fossil sources. This figure was 81 GW, including hydro power, when PM Modi took over. Solar capacity was 2.66 GW in 2014 and today, it is 162 GW. This too is likely to touch 175 GW in another two to three months,” Joshi said at the event, which included participation from experts and industry leaders on the green transition.

The minister added, as per projections for 2035-36, for the first time, solar energy will overtakee coal to become India’s single largest source of installed power capacity. “It will exceed coal by nearly 200 GW, i.e 315 GW coal & 510 GW of solar,” he added, stating this will go hand-in-hand with battery storage, with a target of installing 174 GW storage capacity by 2035-26 – or 888 GW hours of energy storage capacity and 94 GW of pumped storage production.

In parliament in a reply on Tuesday, the latest data shared by MNRE, had shown that India’s renewable energy capacity was 288.58 GW as on June 30, 2026. This included 162.15 GW from solar energy, 57.44 GW from wind; 57.24 GW from hydro power and 11.75 GW as bio-power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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