NEW DELHI — India's non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity capacity has crossed 300 gigawatts, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan said on Thursday, addressing the valedictory session of the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He said environmental commitments are catalysts for India's development, not hindrances to growth, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Source: Press Information Bureau, 5 Nov 2026

The Vice-President said India achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in 2025, five years ahead of its commitment, and that solar power capacity has grown from less than 3 gigawatts to over 170 gigawatts in a decade. Solar power, once several times more expensive than coal-based electricity, is now among the cheapest sources of electricity in India, he said.

Source: PIB via Vice-President's address, 5 Nov 2026

300 GW+India's non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity now crossed
50%Non-fossil share of installed capacity achieved in 2025, five years early
<3 GW to 170 GW+Solar capacity growth over a decade
~7xPossible rise in India's electricity demand by 2070, per the Vice-President

More than 65 lakh households have joined the solar movement under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, and nearly 30 lakh farmers have benefited under PM-KUSUM, with solar pumps cutting diesel costs and turning farmers into 'Urjadatas' — givers of energy as well as food — the Vice-President said. Initiatives under PM-JANMAN and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan are extending electricity access to remote tribal areas where grid connectivity may not be feasible, he added.

Source: PIB, 5 Nov 2026

IANS reported the same milestones from the address, noting that the Vice-President presented India's renewable transformation as not only a national achievement but a model for the Global South. He said hydrogen energy is making encouraging progress, called for stronger industry-academia collaboration — "The technologies of 2040 will come from the laboratories and start-ups of today" — and urged participants to "turn discussions into projects, and projects into power."

Source: IANS via HiIndia, 5 Nov 2026

Radhakrishnan reiterated India's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070, noting that electricity demand could rise nearly seven-fold by 2070 and must be met with clean, reliable and affordable power. On the occasion he presented the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards and PM Surya Ghar Awards to the best-performing states, government departments, vendors, brand owners and public sector banks. Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi, Minister of State Shripad Yesso Naik, Principal Scientific Adviser Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood and MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi were present, PIB said.

Source: PIB, 5 Nov 2026