Country briefing: India

Wind and solar are accelerating in India. However, electricity demand is growing even faster. As a result, wind and solar are still growing alongside coal, rather than displacing fossil fuels from the mix.

India’s power sector remains heavily dependent on coal, which provided 75% of electricity generation in 2023. Further action will be necessary to transform the Indian electricity system into one powered predominantly by renewables.

In this report, we explore the level of wind and solar that India would need to install as part of a global 1.5ºC compatible pathway. Our benchmarks are also compatible with tripling renewables capacity by 2030.

Key findings

India’s wind and solar generation needs to grow five to six times by 2030 to align with 1.5ºC, reaching 900–1200 TWh of wind and solar.

Just over 600 GW of wind and solar would be needed by 2030 (460 GW of solar and 150 GW of wind).

Current rollout of wind and solar would need to further accelerate to align with 1.5ºC. At the current pace of rollout, India would fall short of the needed capacity in 2030 by 140 GW of solar and 70 GW of wind.

India will require large-scale investment to help phase down coal power, accelerate renewables deployment, and drive grid expansion. International support will be key in supporting the energy transition via climate finance.