Modi announces plan to add 500 GW new non-fossil capacity over next 10-11 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that India will seek to add 500 gigawatts of new non-fossil fuel power capacity over the next 10 to 11 years. He made the statement while addressing the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo in New Delhi. The country has already installed 308 GW of non-fossil capacity, representing 55.1 percent of total installed power generation capacity of 558.89 GW, according to Central Electricity Authority data.

Modi noted that India achieved the Paris commitment target of meeting half its installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 deadline. More than 50 percent of installed capacity now comes from non-fossil sources. The earlier target of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 remains in place, and the country has reached nearly 300 GW toward that goal. He described the additional 500 GW over the coming decade as a difficult but achievable objective.

The Prime Minister stated that clean energy investment opportunities could exceed Rs 20 lakh crore, or about USD 220 billion, by the end of the decade. This figure covers generation, transmission infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy storage. India has attracted more than Rs 15 lakh crore in renewable energy investments over the past decade. Since the 2024 RE-INVEST Summit, the sector has received around Rs 6 lakh crore in two years.

Modi placed India among the top three countries globally in solar and renewable energy capacity. The announcement comes against a backdrop of disruptions in global energy markets linked to conflict in West Asia. He emphasised the importance of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels through accelerated domestic non-fossil capacity.

The 500 GW addition over 10-11 years would more than double current non-fossil installed capacity if realised. The existing 308 GW already exceeds the halfway mark of the 2030 500 GW target. The new longer-term figure sets a trajectory beyond 2030. Officials have not yet released a year-by-year breakdown of the additional capacity or the specific technology mix between solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear.

Investment projections of Rs 20 lakh crore by decade’s end imply sustained capital inflows into both utility-scale projects and supporting manufacturing. Domestic production of modules, cells, and related equipment has expanded in recent years under production-linked incentives. Transmission upgrades will be required to integrate the additional generation without curtailment.

The timing of the announcement at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit places it before a domestic and international audience of developers, financiers, and equipment suppliers. Modi’s reference to achieving the 50 percent non-fossil share five years early provides a concrete benchmark against the Paris pledge. The Central Electricity Authority figure of 55.1 percent confirms that threshold has been crossed.

No new fiscal measures or subsidy changes were detailed in the address. The statement functions as a directional target for planning by state utilities, private developers, and central agencies responsible for transmission and storage. Storage capacity will need to grow in parallel if variable renewable output is to meet evening and night-time demand.

Current non-fossil capacity of 308 GW includes solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear. Solar has been the largest contributor to recent additions. The additional 500 GW target does not specify the share of each technology. Planners will need to balance land availability, grid connectivity, and cost curves when allocating the new capacity across states.

The announcement updates India’s public clean-energy trajectory at a moment when global oil and gas markets remain sensitive to regional conflict. Domestic non-fossil expansion reduces exposure to those price swings for the power sector. The 10-11 year horizon extends beyond the 2030 Paris-related targets and into the mid-2030s.

Implementation will depend on continued project clearances, financing availability, and transmission build-out. The Rs 20 lakh crore opportunity figure indicates the scale of capital the government expects the sector to absorb. Developers and investors now have a longer-term capacity number against which to size pipelines and manufacturing expansions.