India Ranks Third in Renewable Energy Capacity After China, US

India’s renewable energy installed capacity is ranked number three globally after China and the US, according to Renewable Energy Statistics 2026, Union minister for new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi said, HT reported. 

The newspaper cited Joshi as saying India has moved ahead of Brazil in the ranking. The International Renewable Energy Agency released the statistics as of December 2025. He said India achieved a total non-fossil capacity addition of 55.3 GW during Financial Year (FY) 2025–26.

China ranked at the top with renewable energy capacity at 2,258.02 GW, followed by the US at 467.92 GW and India at 250.52 GW. India is followed by Brazil with a capacity of 228.20 GW and Germany with 199.92 GW.

The minister also highlighted that in July 2025, India reached its highest-ever renewable energy share in electricity generation. Renewables met 51.5% of the country’s total electricity demand of 203 GW, he said.

India Set to Emerge as World's 2nd-Largest Solar Market in 2026: NSEFI

India is poised to become the world’s second-largest solar market in 2026 in terms of annual installations, the National Solar Energy Federation told ET. India achieved its fastest-ever addition of 50 GW of solar capacity in just  14 months reaching the 150 GW milestone. It took 11 years to reach the first 50GW and three years to reach 100 GW. At the current pace, India is adding nearly 50 GW of solar power annually and will achieve its 300 GW of solar to meet the 2030 target of 500 GW of all renewable energy, the federation said.

Solar Energy, Cheap Battery Storage Can Meet 90% of India’s Power Demand at Affordable Costs: Report

Battery storage is now cheap enough in India that solar power can meet 90% of the country’s power demand at lower lifetime costs than current average purchase rates in most states, a new study found. This finding could potentially point to a future buffer against global energy shocks, according to a report by Ember. 

This means that solar power can affordably supply India with power day and night for most months, especially in states with high solar irradiance (a measure of solar intensity), the newspaper HT explained. 

The report said Ember research showed India could have met 90% of its electricity requirements in 2024 with solar and battery power at a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) – a metric to evaluate the average cost of power generation for an energy asset’s lifetime – of ₹5.06/kWh, assuming there are no grid constraints.

HT reported on April 2 that the government is taking several measures to reduce LPG import dependence and enhance energy security in the medium to long term. These include prioritising piped natural gas and renewable energy development, including solar, wind, bioenergy and green hydrogen.

India Takes Second Leap Towards Energy Security as Kalpakkam Reactor Achieves Criticality

India’s nuclear reactor at the coastal nuclear complex of Kalpakkam, 70km from Chennai, achieved a self-sustaining chain reaction on Monday, marking India’s entry into the second stage of a long-planned three-stage nuclear energy strategy, Telegraph reported.

The 500MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), designed to produce more nuclear fuel while it generates power, “successfully attained first criticality” — a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction — at 8.25pm on Monday, India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said on Tuesday.

The report explained that inside the reactor, plutonium atoms get split, releasing heat and neutrons that sustain the reaction and generate power, while a blanket of uranium surrounding the core gets converted into more plutonium fuel, a process key to breeder technology. 

The reactor is designed to produce more fuel than it consumes. Commercial operation is expected by late 2026 or early 2027. This advancement is crucial for harnessing India's thorium reserves and ensuring long-term energy security, ET reported. 

Chinese energy storage firms push harder overseas as orders boom

Chinese energy storage manufacturers are witnessing a spike in overseas orders and accelerating their factory expansions to capture growing international demand.

New overseas orders for Chinese energy storage companies reached 366 gigawatt-hours in 2025, marking a 144% year-on-year increase, according to the China Energy Storage Alliance, Caixin reported.

The momentum has continued into the first quarter of 2026, with exports of large-scale storage systems jumping more than 130% and residential systems growing by over 65%. Over 70 Chinese companies have secured orders across more than 60 countries and regions, primarily targeting core markets in Europe, Australia, North America and the Middle East, the report said.