New Delhi

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Saturday said India has registered its highest-ever annual increase in non-fossil fuel power capacity, adding 31.25 GW so far this financial year, including 24.28 GW of solar power.

Addressing the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025 in Puri, Odisha, the Minister also announced a major renewable push for the state — a 1.5 lakh rooftop solar ULA model aimed at benefiting nearly 7–8 lakh people across Odisha.

Joshi highlighted the sharp acceleration in global renewable adoption, noting that while the world took seven decades to reach its first terawatt of renewable capacity in 2022, the second terawatt was added in just two years.

He said India is at the forefront of this global shift. The country’s solar capacity has surged from 2.8 GW to around 130 GW in 11 years, marking an expansion of more than 4,500 per cent. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, India contributed 46 GW to worldwide solar additions, making it the third-largest contributor globally.

The Minister noted that India possesses the fifth-largest coal reserves and remains the second-biggest consumer of coal but is simultaneously accelerating its clean-energy transition as global competitiveness increasingly depends on green mechanisms.

Detailing new initiatives for Odisha, Joshi said the Centre has approved a consumer-owned Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model under the PM Surya Ghar scheme to install 1.5 lakh, 1 kW rooftop solar systems in the state. The move is expected to particularly support economically weaker households.

Odisha, he said, is already showing strong momentum in clean energy. Renewable sources now account for over 34 per cent of the state’s installed capacity, with more than 3.1 GW already in place.

Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana, 1.6 lakh households in Odisha have applied for rooftop solar, 23,000+ installations have been completed, and 19,200 families have received subsidies exceeding ₹147 crore directly into their bank accounts.

Joshi credited India’s renewable expansion to the overall ecosystem built under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including improved ease of doing business, investor confidence, supportive policies and coordinated Centre–State efforts.

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Expressing optimism about the state’s future, Joshi said the coming years would be “the age of Odisha,” praising the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and the people of the state for their commitment to green technology and renewable energy.