'India's Renewable Energy Capacity Has Reached 188 GW': President Murmu

India’s installed renewable energy (RE) capacity has increased to about 188 gigawatts (GW), up from 81 GW a decade ago, President Droupadi Murmu said while addressing a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

In her first address to the joint sitting in the new Parliament building, President Murmu highlighted the rapid growth in the country's renewable energy sector, noting that while solar power capacity has increased 26-fold, wind power capacity has doubled in the last 10 years.

The President added that the India currently ranks fourth globally in terms of renewable energy and wind power installed capacity and fifth in solar power capacity.

India unveiled an ambitious five-part pledge, termed "Panchamrit," at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow in 2021. These commitments include attaining 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030, meeting 50 per cent of its energy from "renewable energy" by 2030, and reducing total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030.

Furthermore, India aims to slash the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by 45 per cent. Also, by the year 2070, the country envisions achieving the target of "Net Zero," where the net carbon dioxide emissions from energy sources would be zero.

During her address, she highlighted the construction of 11 new solar parks along with the ongoing development on nine additional parks, emphasising the country's commitment to bolstering its solar energy infrastructure.

She further mentioned the government's recent announcement of the Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana, which aims to install solar panels on the rooftops of one crore households.