India hits 100 GW of installed solar power capacity 

India surpassed 100 GW of installed solar power capacity, PV Magazine reported.  As of January 31, 2025, India’s total solar capacity installed stands at 100.33 GW, with 84.10 GW under implementation and an additional 47.49 GW under tendering. The country’s hybrid and round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy projects are also advancing rapidly, with 64.67 GW under implementation and tendered, bringing the grand total of solar and hybrid projects to 296.59 GW, the outlet explained.

India budget raises green hydrogen mission allocation 100% at ₹600 cr

The Union Budget for 2025-26 has provided ₹600 crore for the National Green Hydrogen Mission— a 100% increase over the previous ₹300 crore—to make India “the global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives” ET reported.

The mission was launched in 2023 with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore, including an outlay of ₹17,490 crore for strategic interventions for green hydrogen transition (SIGHT) schemes to incentivise electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production. Till date, tenders for 412,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen production capacity and 1.5 GW electrolyser manufacturing capacity have been awarded under the SIGHT scheme, according to Ember.

In 2020, India’s hydrogen demand stood at 6 million tonnes (MT) per year, it’s estimated that by 2030, the hydrogen costs will be down by 50 per cent.  Some of the industrial players in the space are Reliance Industries, GAIL, NTPC, Indian Oil Corporation, and Larsen and Toubro. ET reported that the hydrogen sector will be dominated by big players, as high costs of “scaling” will push the smaller players out. 

Costly Domestic Content Requirement solar modules slowing Centre’s schemes for farmers?

The increasing cost and limited supply of solar modules (restricted by curbs on imports from China to boost domestic manufacturing) are threatening the Centre’s programmes of subsidised power supply to homeowners and farmers (The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan, PM-KUSUM), reported Mercom. 

Domestic solar module prices have surged following the centre’s decision to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on solar glass imports from China and Vietnam. This move added approximately ₹450 (~$5.30) per 540 W–550 Wp module, resulting in a price increase of ₹0.80 (~$0.0094)/W–₹0.90 (~$0.011)/Wp. Some domestic manufacturers increased prices by ₹2 (~$0.024)/W–₹2.5 (~$0.029)/Wp, the outlet stated. 

Developers told the outlet that the price increases are disproportionate to the actual cost impact. DCR (Domestic content requirement) cell prices are ₹13.75 (~$0.16)/Wp, compared to just ₹3.75 (~$0.043)/Wp for imported cells. Mercom cited developers stating that Yadav pointed out that the rates displayed on the PM Surya Ghar portal are approximately 20-30% lower than the prevailing market prices of DCR solar modules.

Adani withdraws from 2 wind projects in Sri Lanka 

Adani Green decided to withdraw from two proposed wind power projects in Sri Lanka following the country’s review of its projects after US authorities in November accused its billionaire founder Gautam Adani and other executives of being part of a scheme to pay bribes to secure Indian power supply contracts.

Last month, the Lankan government asked Adani to lower the cost of power from the projects estimated to cost a total of $1 billion. The Adani Group is also involved in building a $700 million terminal project at Sri Lanka’s largest port in Colombo.

Trump’s policy uncertainty prods India firm to hold its plan to set up solar factory

President Donald Trump’s decision to pause Biden-era green policies has led Indian solar modules maker Premier Energies to put its own plan on hold to build a 1 gigawatt (GW) solar cell manufacturing facility, Reuters reported. Premier and North American solar module maker Heliene had announced a joint venture in July 2024 to build a US-based solar cell manufacturing facility to capitalise on the incentives and tax credits for domestic clean energy manufacturing under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), The newswire report stated. 

Since he took over as president, Trump has halted spending related to climate and infrastructure laws from the previous administration, paused tax credits for clean industries, and suspended new offshore wind power leasing, while simultaneously unveiling a plan to maximise US oil and gas production and withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

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