The achievement brings India a step closer to its target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, in line with its Paris Agreement commitments

India has reached a major milestone in its renewable energy journey, with more than 15 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar capacity installed over the past five years. Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik shared the update in a written reply to Parliament on Tuesday, underscoring the country’s growing shift towards cleaner, decentralized sources of power.

Once a niche sector, rooftop solar has become a cornerstone of India’s green energy strategy, cutting across residential homes, commercial buildings, and industrial units. Its rapid growth has been driven by a combination of policy incentives—like capital subsidies, net metering, and concessional financing and rising awareness of sustainable energy options.

Crucially, rooftop solar empowers consumers to become “prosumers,” allowing them not just to generate and use their own electricity, but to feed surplus power back into the grid. It’s an approach that’s helping democratize energy, reduce transmission losses, and ease pressure on distribution networks especially in power-hungry urban areas.

This push is also central to India’s larger climate ambition: achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. As solar technology becomes more efficient and affordable, the government sees enormous potential for expansion in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.