283 GW Clean-Energy Base Must Move to Adoption, Say Experts

New Delhi | 5 August 2026:

Think Change Forum, a leading independent think tank based in New Delhi, in partnership with Delhi Research Implementation and Innovation (DRIIV), Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, as Knowledge Partner, today organised a national seminar bringing together leading energy experts, policymakers, innovators, public-sector enterprises, industry leaders, financiers and clean-energy stakeholders to discuss India’s new-energy transition and the urgent need to move from evaluation to adoption.

The seminar, themed “New Energy: From Evaluation to Adoption,” sought to shift the national conversation from creating clean-energy capacity to ensuring that this capacity can be reliably transmitted, stored, purchased and productively used. The discussions examined how India can translate its expanding clean-energy base into greater energy security, affordability, industrial competitiveness and resilience.

Experts noted that India has built a formidable foundation for this transition. As of 31 March 2026, the country had installed 283.46 GW of non-fossil-fuel capacity, including 274.68 GW of renewable energy, and ranked third globally in installed renewable-energy capacity. India also added a record 55.29 GW of non-fossil capacity during FY2025–26.However, experts stressed that installed capacity alone cannot deliver the energy transition. The next and more difficult phase will be to absorb variable renewable power into the grid, move it efficiently from generation centres to consumers, create dependable procurement mechanisms and enable industry, infrastructure, mobility, buildings, households and public institutions to adopt cleaner energy at scale.

The scale of the integration challenge is already visible. During April–June 2026, approximately 8,133 GWh of solar electricity was curtailed because of transmission constraints and grid-security requirements. At the same time, the Central Electricity Authority estimates that India will require approximately 336 GWh of energy-storage capacity by 2029–30 and 411 GWh by 2031–32 to integrate renewable power reliably and maintain grid stability.The discussions also focused on the role of science, technology and institutional collaboration in accelerating clean-energy adoption. Experts emphasised that promising technologies must move beyond pilots and demonstrations into dependable, replicable and commercially viable deployment models.