India's Green Energy Transition

If electric vehicles (EVs) still rely on a coal-heavy grid for charging, are they really cleaner than internal combustion engine vehicles? What’s more, with EV demand surging in Indian cities like Bengaluru, this could increase CO2 emissions from the sector. As a cleaner and scalable charging solution, rooftop photovoltaic (RTPV)-based EV charging stations (EVCS) are a viable option. So, what is holding back the wider uptake of RTPV-EVCS?

India’s clean energy transition is at a pivotal stage, with several initiatives underway to take the nation closer to its goals of installing 500 GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2030 and attaining net-zero emissions by 2070. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced schemes such as the PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme to decarbonise the residential and agricultural sectors, respectively, by incentivising large-scale adoption of renewables.

Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area, holds the highest renewable energy potential in the country, with 284 GW of wind energy potential and 142 GW of solar energy potential. In December 2024, the total installed electricity generation capacity in Rajasthan stood at approximately 43.5 GW, of which renewables constituted 70 per cent (contributing around 30.5 GW). The state also houses one of the largest solar parks in the world at Bhadla.

As the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) continues to expand India's renewable energy (RE) portfolio, ocean energy offers a sustainable solution to meet India's growing energy demands while reducing carbon emissions. This article outlines the current state of ocean energy technologies, their potential in India, and the current initiatives undertaken by MNRE to further the development of ocean energy in India.

India is rapidly expanding its renewable energy (RE) capacity to meet the 500 GW target by 2030 and net-zero target by 2070, showing a remarkable growth of 135% from FY2014–15 to FY2023–24.

The urban population in India—the world’s most populous country—is expected to reach 675 million by 2035 as per the World Cities Report 2022 by UN-Habitat. As most commercial and industrial activities occur in urban areas and electricity is a major factor for development, this population increase will fuel a surge in electricity demand, leading to acute pressure on traditional energy grids and frequent blackouts.

The proliferation of distributed solar energy in India faces significant challenges, primarily due to the high initial investment costs of setting up a solar energy system. Also, the motivation to invest in these solutions is often found lacking, despite government subsidy schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM) and the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

While lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current landscape of battery energy storage systems (BESSs), they have significant safety issues, as evident from the increasing number of LIB-related fire incidents in countries across the world, including India. Further, critical minerals used in LIB electrodes are geographically concentrated, leading to supply chain vulnerabilities.

India, like many other nations, is going through the transitional phase of electrifying its transport sector. As a member of the EV30@30 campaign led by the International Energy Agency (IEA), India aims to achieve a 30% sales share for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. The state of Karnataka is a leader in the nation’s clean energy transition and is currently at the third position in EV sales among all states.

A clean, cheap, and reliable energy source can increase power supply to farmers while alleviating subsidy burdens and reducing greenhouse emissions. These are precisely the goals of the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme launched in 2019 with a budget outlay of INR 34,422 crores. But as the March 2026 end date is rapidly approaching, the scheme has achieved only 5% of its targeted 34.8 GW solar deployment.