Renewables account for over a fourth of power generation

Chennai: The contribution of clean energy to overall electricity generation in the country continues to rise steadily. The share of renewable sources in power generation has increased to 26.4% in 2025–26 (up to Jan) from about 21% in 2019–20, according to data in the latest RBI Bulletin. This growth has been driven largely by a sharp increase in solar power, whose contribution has more than doubled from 3.6% in 2019–20 to 9% in 2025–26. Wind energy has remained relatively stable at around 4%–6%, while hydropower continues to account for the largest share among renewables, although its contribution has moderated slightly over the years. Biopower has made a small but consistent contribution throughout the period. After a gradual rise between 2019–20 and 2022–23, when total renewable generation touched around 22%–23% of the power mix, there was a slight decline in 2023–24. The share then recovered to 22.1% in 2024–25 before climbing sharply in the current fiscal. The data highlights the increasing role of solar energy in driving India's renewable transition, with the segment now accounting for 54% of total installed renewable capacity.As of Feb 2026, India's total installed renewable energy capacity (including large hydro) stood at 267 GW, of which solar power accounted for 144 GW (up from 35 GW in 2019–20). In the current fiscal alone (up to Feb), the solar segment added a record 38 GW of new capacity (including ground-mounted, rooftop and hybrid projects) to the grid.