India installed about 17.4 GW of solar capacity from January to September 2024.This included about 13.2 GW of utility-scale PV installations,3.2 GW of rooftop projects,and 1 GW of distributed offgrid PV capacity,according to JMK Research.

Solar capacity additions in the first nine months of 2024 set a new annual record for India.These installations have brought the nation's total renewable energy capacity to 201.46 GW as of September,with solar now representing about 45%of the total–making it the largest contributor among renewable sources.

The country installed about 13.2 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity from January to September 2024,marking a 160.9%increase compared to the same period in 2023.This surge aligns with the government’s plan to bid for 50 GW of renewable capacity each year over the next five years.

Rajasthan led states with 4.96 GW,followed by Gujarat with 3.13 GW,and Tamil Nadu with 1.57 GW.

The country also installed about 3.2 GW of new rooftop solar capacity,a 7.3%increase from the first nine months of 2023,boosted by the PM Surya Ghar:Muft Bijli Yojana program.

Off-grid and distributed solar capacity rose to 1,035 MW in the first nine months of 2024,about 2.5 times higher than installations during the same period last year.

（Picture: Veer）