India's solar capacity jumps from 3 GW to 162 GW, says DD News

India's installed solar power capacity has climbed from 3 gigawatts (GW) to 162 GW, according to a report by DD News. The figure marks a more than fifty-fold increase, though the report did not specify the time period over which this growth occurred.

The milestone puts India among the world's largest solar markets. The country has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with solar expected to contribute the bulk.

Solar tariffs have fallen sharply over the past decade, making it the cheapest source of new electricity in many parts of India. Large-scale projects in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Karnataka have driven most of the capacity addition.

But the sector faces hurdles. Land acquisition remains a bottleneck, and grid integration of variable renewable energy is a growing challenge. Domestic manufacturing of solar modules is still ramping up, with imports from China continuing to dominate.

The government has rolled out production-linked incentives for solar manufacturing and is pushing rooftop solar through schemes like PM Surya Ghar. The pace of installations, however, has been uneven across states.

DD News did not provide a breakdown of utility-scale versus rooftop solar, nor did it offer a timeline for the 3 GW to 162 GW jump. The report also did not mention the current share of solar in India's total power mix.

India's solar growth has been driven by a combination of falling costs, policy support, and international climate commitments. The country aims to meet half its energy needs from renewables by 2030.

Industry watchers say the next phase will test the grid's ability to absorb large volumes of solar power. Storage and transmission upgrades are seen as critical.

The 162 GW figure, if accurate, represents a significant scale-up. For context, India's total installed power capacity is around 430 GW. Solar now accounts for a substantial slice of that.

DD News published the report on September 16, 2026. The broadcaster did not cite the source of the data.