India launched a landmark scheme, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, in February this year, to support the uptake of rooftop solar photovoltaics (RTPVs) in the country. Under this scheme, residential households are eligible for a subsidy of INR 30,000 per kilowatt (kW) for the first 2 kW and INR 18,000 per kW for an additional capacity of up to 3 kW. With over 1.28 crore registrations and 14.84 lakh applications, the scheme has garnered remarkable interest as highlighted in the recent union budget.

India has witnessed remarkable growth in the solar sector over the last decade. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the overall installed capacity has increased from 2.82 GW in March 2014 to 87.2 GW in July 2024.This can be attributed to aggressive government targets, supportive policy frameworks, decreasing technology costs, and increasing awareness about climate change. While the sector is attracting significant investments from foreign and domestic sources, it also has inherent risks.

The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, transporting millions of passengers and tonnes of freight daily. It has had a historically high demand for fossil fuels to meet the operational energy requirements, resulting in high operational costs and a high emission footprint. The government aims to tackle these challenges through 100% electrification of the railway network by 2024 and by becoming a net-zero emitter by 2030.