For the first time, India added more production capacity from renewable energy in a year than from conventional sources such as coal. Between April 2017 and March 2018, the country added 11,788 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity. That’s more than double the 5,400 MW of capacity addition in the thermal and hydro power sectors during the same period.
Though new capacity in wind and solar power has fallen short of targets, energy sources such as small hydro, waste-to-energy, and biomass have picked up pace, and surpassed the annual targets set by the government.
Renewable energy capacity addition in India for 12 months ended March 31, 2018
| Type of Energy | Target | Capacity Addition |
| Solar (ground) | 9,000 MW | 9,009 MW |
| Wind | 4,000 MW | 1,766 MW |
| Solar (Rooftop) | 1,000 MW | 352 MW |
| Biomass | 400 MW | 528 MW |
| Small Hydro | 100 MW | 105 MW |
| Waste-to-Energy | 10 MW | 24 MW |
Data: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
The waste-to-energy sector recorded an increase in activity with several startups coming up with innovations that helped to exceed the target. The biomass sector, too, installed more capacity than the target last year, and India’s government is beginning to pay more attention to policies and incentives for biomass power producers, according to industry observers.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
