India’s solar PV installations reached a record 14.4GW in the first quarter of 2026, nearly doubling year-on-year from 7.7GW in Q1 2025, according to a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

JMK Research and Mercom India data showed that 2025 was already a record year for India’s solar PV, with around 37GW of new installations. The recent growth is mainly driven by the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana programme, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in ten million Indian households. Since its 2024 launch, the programme has added nearly 10GW of rooftop PV capacity between Q1 2024 and Q1 2026.

Solar PV remains the key driver of new power generation capacity additions, accounting for 76% of all new capacity in Q1 2026. The record installations also helped India surpass 150GW of cumulative installed PV capacity in the first three months of 2026, making it the world’s third-largest in terms of installed PV capacity.

IEEFA noted that the sustained growth momentum stems from improved project execution and a growing pipeline of hybrid solar-wind projects. However, the rapid expansion of renewables has started to test the country’s grid integration capabilities.

Despite the robust growth in solar PV installations, renewable energy investments in Q1 2026 dropped sharply by 65.8% year-on-year, from US$9.8 billion to US$3.3 billion. IEEFA attributed the decline to increasing caution due to grid integration challenges, curtailment risks and transmission constraints, as renewable growth is outpacing transmission and grid infrastructure.