India’s installed solar capacity rises to 168 GW, MNRE data shows

By Staff Report September 19, 2026 6:05 pm IST

The Union government’s Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana will further add 5,000 MW of floating solar projects. This scheme will be implemented between the financial years 2026-27 and 2030-31.

The installed solar capacity of India has risen to 168 GW as of 31^ST August, 2026, as per the MNRE data. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s data shows that the country’s solar power sector has expanded tremendously. This makes solar energy the largest contributor to India’s renewable energy capacity.  Also, the Indian Solar Manufacturer Association (ISMA) report estimates that India’s rooftop solar capacity itself could rise to 132GW by 2030.

The Union government’s Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana will further add 5,000 MW of floating solar projects. This scheme will be implemented between the financial years 2026-27 and 2030-31.

India’s floating solar potential across reservoirs and inland water bodies has been estimated to be at 102.18GW by the National Institute of Solar Energy. India has emerged as the world’s second-largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing base as per a September 2026 Jefferies report. The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024 with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore, has supported 51 lakh households with the installation of rooftop solar.

The government has also approved of 54 solar parks with a combined capacity of 39,188MW. With this huge leap in India’s solar installed capacity, focus on storage has also been stressed.