How India scripted its renewables growth story

In 2024, Nirmal Das Swami, a farmer in Rajasthan, began harvesting the power of the sun. Nirmal installed a one-megawatt solar park on his land, enough to power his entire community. With access to steady, affordable, and clean energy, Nirmal’s income grew. Nirmal is part of a larger transformation happening in India. Boosted by the increasing economic viability of renewables, India is outpacing other major developing countries in scaling cost-effective clean energy. It is set to add more renewables to its grid than the US this year. Non-fossil fuel sources now account for 50% of its installed capacity.

India’s progress here is a result of three key factors — the government’s big bet on universal energy access, a willingness to experiment, and strong public-private-philanthropic partnerships.