New Delhi: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi has said that India has surpassed Japan to become the third-largest producer of solar energy globally, which is a significant development in the nation's clean energy development. India produced 1,08,494 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of solar power, more than Japan, which produced 96,459 GWh, Joshi stated, citing data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The minister has shared the update via a post on the social media platform X. "India has outpaced Japan in solar energy generation — producing 1,08,494 GWh compared to Japan’s 96,459 GWh — and is now the world’s third-largest solar power producer," the Minister said. Thanks to the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India is leading the way in the global clean energy revolution, he further wrote. IRENA, a global agency that supports countries in their transition to sustainable energy, provides comprehensive data and policy support for renewable energy development worldwide.

The development comes as India pushes forward with its ambitious target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030 through a diversified energy strategy. In addition to its solar success, India is also expanding its wind energy portfolio. Earlier last month, the minister informed the Parliament that the installed wind energy capacity in India had reached 51.67 GW as of June 30 this year.

According to data presented by the minister in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the country's wind energy capacity has been steadily growing over the last three fiscal years, from 2,275.55 MW added in 2023–2024 to 3,253.39 MW added in 2024–2025 and 1,637.02 MW of new capacity installed in the April–June quarter of 2025–2026. With 13,816.68 MW of installed capacity, Gujarat leads the top three states in terms of wind power generation capacity. Tamil Nadu comes in second with 11,830.36 MW. With 7,714.74 MW of installed wind power, Karnataka is the third-largest generator in the nation. 

(IANS)