India installed a record 29 gigawatts (GW) of new solar and wind power capacity during the first half of 2026, adding about 26 GW of solar and 2.9 GW of wind capacity between January and June. Solar installations rose 43 per cent compared with the same period last year, while wind capacity additions declined 16 per cent year on year.
The strong performance means solar installations in the first six months of 2026 have already reached nearly 70 per cent of the total solar capacity added during calendar year 2025, according to JMK Research.
India's cumulative renewable energy (RE) installed capacity was about 288 GW as of June 2026, showed data by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Solar accounted for around 56 per cent of the total installed RE capacity, followed by wind at 20 per cent, large hydropower at 18 per cent, biopower at 4 per cent and small hydropower at 2 per cent.
India added about 19 GW of utility-scale solar capacity during the January to June period, up 32 per cent from the corresponding period in 2025.
The rooftop solar segment recorded the fastest growth, with around 6.4 GW of new capacity installed during first half of 2026, more than doubling from a year earlier with a 104 per cent increase.
JMK Research attributed the growth primarily to the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which accounted for a majority of rooftop solar installations during the period.
The off-grid and distributed solar segment added about 842.9 megawatts (MW), registering a modest 3 per cent increase over H1 2025.
India added around 2.9 GW of new wind capacity during H1 2026, compared with 3.5 GW during the same period in 2025, marking a 16 per cent decline.
Despite the slowdown in wind installations, overall renewable energy capacity additions remained robust because of strong growth in the solar sector.
Gujarat emerged as the largest contributor to solar installations during H1 2026, adding 7.6 GW or 29 per cent of the national total. Rajasthan followed with 6.6 GW, accounting for 25 per cent, while Tamil Nadu added 2.4 GW, contributing 9 per cent.
In the wind sector, Gujarat also led capacity additions with 1.2 GW, representing 43 per cent of the total. Maharashtra added 0.49 GW, or 17 per cent, followed by Karnataka with 0.48 GW, accounting for 16 per cent.
According to JMK Research, India is expected to add around 47 GW of new solar and wind power capacity during the calendar year 2026. The research firm said the momentum seen during the first half of the year is expected to continue in the second half, supporting India's target of achieving 500 GW of non fossil fuel based electricity capacity by 2030.