India’s renewable energy capacity has surpassed 227 GW, with a 38-fold growth in solar photovoltaic module manufacturing, said Union Minister Piyush Goyal at the 11th India Energy Storage Week in New Delhi. According to Goyal, India will most likely be the first G20 nation to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. He cited Palli village in Jammu and Kashmir as India’s first carbon-neutral panchayat and Yashobhoomi, the event venue, as a sustainability model including rooftop solar and energy-efficient technology.
The Minister mentioned that solar cell capacity has increased 21-fold during the last decade. He noted the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which intends to equip 1 crore households with rooftop solar panels, as well as the PM Kusum Yojana, which wants to increase the number of solar pumps available to farmers. Goyal cited the Production Linked Incentive Programme, which aims to increase Advanced Chemistry Cell manufacturing in India.
He emphasised the importance of energy storage solutions, such as batteries, pumped storage, and hydro storage, in guaranteeing India’s sustainable energy transition. Goyal advocated a four-pronged strategy for energy independence. He mentioned a recent ₹1 lakh crore R&D Fund for next-generation battery technologies.
