English: India imports around 40% of its primary energy needs, and clean energy is a way of reducing that dependency. The country introduced policies to stimulate the growth of renewables in 2010. But by the time of the Paris Summit, solar capacity stood at 5.7 GW, providing just 0.5% of total generation.

Jointly with France, India launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at COP21 in 2015, putting the country at the core of the solar revolution. India simultaneously expanded its domestic programme, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi increasing the national target for 2022 from 20 GW up to 100 GW.

In 2021, India set a new target of 500 GW of clean generation capacity by 2030. A substantial proportion of this is likely to be domestically manufactured solar. By August 2025, Indian companies had manufacturing capacity capable of producing 100 GW of solar modules annually, while cell manufacturing capacity tripled to 25 GW earlier that year.

In the years following the Paris Summit, India’s solar capacity grew by an average of 40% per year, resulting in a near twentyfold increase between 2015 and 2024. Solar generation overtook bioenergy in 2017, nuclear in 2019, and gas and wind in 2021. It is now India’s third largest source of electricity behind hydro (7.7% in 2024) and coal (75%). In the first nine months of 2025, solar has been the fastest growing source of electricity in the country.

Backed by India’s leadership, the ISA has channelled finance and expertise to emerging economies through a South–South cooperation model. Its Affordable Finance at Scale program has allocated over $2 billion USD for solar projects, while the Global Solar Facility works to de-risk private investment. Both initiatives support ISA’s goal of mobilising $1 trillion in solar funding by 2030.