Solar Power Drives a New Industrial Path

Solar energy is helping fuel rapid economic growth while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, positioning India as a potential model for cleaner industrial development.

“China built on coal; India is building on sun,” said Kingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist and Director at Ember. “What India is doing could also be mirrored in other emerging economies.”

India’s installed solar capacity has been growing by around 40% annually and surpassed 150 gigawatts in March, with plans to double again by 2030. The country is developing what is expected to become the world’s largest solar power project, with a planned capacity of 30 gigawatts. More than half of its installed electricity-generating capacity now comes from non-fossil fuel sources, supported by major investments in transmission networks, battery storage and pumped hydro. The shift is also helping power the electrification of transport and industry, offering a lower-carbon route to development as energy demand continues to rise.