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A recent NISE report finds that India could generate 3,343 GWp of power through ground-mounted solar PV across 27,571 sq km of wasteland, a significant rise from the 2014 estimate of 748.98 GWp. Western and southern states contribute the most, while northeastern and Himalayan regions have limited potential due to terrain and forest cover. Supported by government policies, India's installed solar capacity has crossed 100 GW. The study highlights that solar resources are abundant nationwide, challenging the belief that only a few states hold significant potential.
India has the potential to generate about 3,343 GWp from ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations across 27,571 square km of wasteland, according to a report by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) released earlier this week. NISE, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), focuses on research, solar component testing and certification, capacity building, and the development of solar products and applications. Advertisement
The study provides an updated and detailed assessment of India's solar PV potential, building on the previous estimate of 748.98 GWp in 2014. It uses advanced geospatial datasets and improved methodologies while considering development constraints such as terrain slope and aspect, sustainable land use, solar irradiance, and proximity to roads and electrical substations.
The analysis shows that a feasible 3,343 GWp of ground-mounted solar capacity could be installed across India, derived from around 27,571 sq km of wasteland. Rajasthan leads in potential with 828.78 GWp, followed by Maharashtra (486.68 GWp), Madhya Pradesh (318.97 GWp), Andhra Pradesh (299.31 GWp), and Gujarat (243.22 GWp). The report notes that western India contributes over 45% of the total potential, benefiting from vast, contiguous wastelands and high solar irradiance levels.
Southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka (223.28 GWp), Tamil Nadu (204.77 GWp), and Telangana (140.45 GWp) also show significant potential despite smaller wasteland areas, thanks to favourable solar geometry, dense irradiance, and high land-use efficiency. In contrast, northeastern and Himalayan regions, including Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have low potential due to rugged terrain, dense forests, lower irradiance, and scattered wastelands.
The report highlights that India's installed solar capacity crossed 100 GW in January 2025, a sharp increase from just 2.82 GW in 2014, driven by supportive renewable energy policies and strong government initiatives. Union New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi, who released the report, said the analysis identifies a total feasible ground-mounted solar potential of 3,343 GW, which is more than eight times the country's current total installed power capacity from all sources.
He emphasized that the previous assessment in 2014 relied on assumptions, such as using only 3% of available wasteland for solar deployment. Since then, photovoltaic efficiency has improved significantly and costs have dropped. The minister added that India has already achieved about 80% indigenization in the wind turbine sector, with a manufacturing capacity of 20 GW per year, and built a solar PV module manufacturing capacity exceeding 100 GW annually.
Highlighting the findings, Joshi noted that solar potential is not limited to a few states. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka show enormous untapped potential, indicating that solar energy opportunities are widespread across India.
Source PTI
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