India adds 22 GW of renewables capacity in H1

The majority of the new clean power came from solar.

India has added 22 gigawatts (GW) to its renewable energy capacity in the first half of 2025, its highest addition in any six months, according to Rystad Energy.

According to a new analysis, Rystad said the added capacity was up 57% from the 14.2 GW installed in the same period last year. The latest number includes 18.4 GW of solar, 3.5 GW of wind and 250 megawatts (MW) of bioenergy.

“The surge was largely driven by developers moving quickly to take advantage of the government’s Interstate Transmission System (ISTS) charge waiver, which begins at 25% and increases annually until full implementation by June 2028, significantly lowering project costs and incentivising developers to act now,” Rystad said.

This development also means that the country is inching closer to its goal of sourcing 50% of its installed power capacity from clean energy sources, with a total of 234 GW in place. Nuclear power is also beginning to play a larger role, with the commissioning of Unit 7 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project, and the approval for the country’s first small modular reactor planned in the northern state of Bihar.

“However, reliance on coal remains a significant challenge and the role of nuclear energy continues to be debated due to concerns over costs, safety and waste management,” Rystad noted.

In terms of battery energy storage systems (BESS), India has awarded 5.4 GW of collocated solar-BESS and 2.2 GW of standalone BESS to developers, its highest allocation to date.

Jindal Group is one of  the major developers, securing 990 MW of collocated solar and BESS capacity, whilst NTPC and ReNew each won 900 MW in the same category. In the standalone BESS segment, JSW Energy was allocated 625 MW, and Reliance Power won 525 MW of collocated capacity.

India’s western states remain at the forefront of the country’s renewable energy rollout. Rajasthan leads with 37.4 GW of installed capacity, followed by Gujarat with 35.5 GW, and Tamil Nadu with over 20 GW.