Context: 

The 6^th edition of Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2025 revealed that India became the world's third-largest producer of electricity from wind and solar energy in 2024.

More on the News

• As per the report India overtook Germany to reach to the 3^rd spot.
• The report provides the first comprehensive overview of changes in global electricity generation in 2024.
• The report analyses electricity data from 215 countries, 13 geographic and economic groupings, including Africa, Asia, the EU and the G7, 

Key highlights of the Report 

Global Renewable Energy growth:

• Wind and solar together generated 15% of global electricity last year, out of which India’s contribution stood at 10%.
• Low-carbon sources including renewables and nuclear contributed 40.9% to global electricity generation in 2024. This is the first time the 40% mark has been crossed since the 1940s.
• Renewables provided a record 32% of global electricity in 2024.
• Globally, renewables contributed a record 858 TWh in 2024, which is 49% more than the previous record in 2022.
• Solar was the largest source of new electricity for the third straight year, adding 474 TWh in 2024. 

India’s renewable energy view

In India, clean sources accounted for 22% of the electricity generation. Of this, hydropower was the largest contributor at 8%, followed by wind and solar, which together contributed 10%.

India added 24 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2024, which is more than double the previous year’s addition, making it the third-largest market after China and the United States.

• Solar energy contributed 7% of India’s total electricity in 2024, with generation having doubled since 2021.

India became fourth globally in solar generation with an increase in additional 20-terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024.

The report also stressed India’s need to accelerate clean generation to match rising demand.

India’s Renewable Energy Initiatives

• National Climate Targets: Under India’s climate commitments or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UNFCCC in 2022, India’s climate targets include achieving 50% of installed capacity from non-fossil sources and reaching 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. 
• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY): Launched in February 2024, this initiative has become the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar programme. As of March 10, 2025, it has powered 10 lakh households with solar energy.
• The Union Budget 2024–25 earmarked ₹10,000 crore for solar grid infrastructure, marking a 110% increase from the ₹4,757 crore allocated in the previous fiscal year (2023–24).