India's ground-mounted solar power potential at 3,343 GWp: Govt report

India has potential to have about 3,343 GWp ground-mounted solar PV from 27,571 square km of wasteland across the nation, a report by National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) said on Tuesday.

NISE is an autonomous specialised institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), mandated for research and development, solar component testing and certification, capacity building, and development of solar products and applications.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of India's ground-mounted solar PV potential, building on the earlier estimate of 748.98 GWp in 2014.

The study integrates advanced geospatial datasets and refined methodologies, accounting for key development constraints such as terrain (slope and aspect), sustainable land use, solar irradiance, and proximity to roads and electrical substations.

It identifies feasible ground-mounted solar potential of 3,343 GWp across India, derived from 27,571 sq km of wasteland.

The report shows that apart from well-known desert regions in Rajasthan and Gujarat, several states have very high potential for ground-mounted solar PV.

Rajasthan has the highest potential of having 828.78 GWp, followed by 486.68 GWP in Maharashtra, 318.97 GWp in Madhya Pradesh, 299.31 GWp in Andhra Pradesh and 243.22 GWp in Gujarat.

"The feasibility analysis yielded a total ground-mounted solar PV potential (DC capacity) of 3343.37 GWp across India, derived from a feasible wasteland area of 27,571.39 sq km, which represents approximately 6.69 per cent of the total identified wasteland (4,12,458.37 sq km). This is in line with the imposed constraint that not more than 10 per cent of wasteland of the state to be utilised for solar deployment," it said.

Western India contributes over 45 per cent of the national potential. These states benefit from vast, contiguous wasteland and high solar irradiance, it stated.

Southern states, including Andhra Pradesh (299.31 GWp ), Karnataka (223.28 GWp), Tamil Nadu (204.77 GWp), and Telangana (140.45 GWp) show significant contributions despite moderate wasteland area, the report said, adding that this is attributed to favourable solar geometry, dense irradiance levels, and high land-use efficiency.

Northeastern and Himalayan states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand present low ground-mounted potential due to lower solar irradiance, rugged terrain and high forest cover, and scattered, less-accessible wastelands, it stated.

With favourable RE policies and government push toward green energy adoption, in January 2025, India's installed solar capacity surpassed 100 GW, up from just 2.82 GW in 2014.

The report was released by Union New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi earlier this morning.

The minister said, "The report identifies a total feasible ground-mounted solar potential of 3,343 GW across India. That is more than 8 times our country's current total installed power capacity from all sources combined. It shows that our nation is blessed with an abundance of solar resources."  He pointed out that the last such assessment was conducted in 2014 and in the decade since, the world of solar energy has been transformed.

He noted that the old methodology relied on assumptions, like a fixed 3 per cent of all available wasteland could be used for solar plants.

Since then, photovoltaic efficiency has improved a lot, and costs have come down significantly, he noted.

"We are now well past the halfway mark of our next ambitious target: 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. This progress has been powered by a robust domestic industry. We have achieved about 80 per cent indigenisation in our wind turbine sector, which now has a manufacturing capacity of 20 GW per year," he said.

He also noted that India has built an incredible solar PV module manufacturing capacity of over 100 GW per annum.

The minister opined that this report shatters the myth that solar potential is concentrated in only a few states.

It reveals vast, untapped opportunities across the nation: Maharashtra with over 486 GW, Andhra Pradesh with 299 GW, Gujarat with 243 GW, and Karnataka with 223 GW, he added.