India’s journey toward energy independence reached a historic milestone on January 6, 2026, as Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced that the nation’s solar module manufacturing capacity surged to 144 gigawatts (GW) in 2025. This remarkable feat represents a 128.6% year-over-year increase from the 63 GW recorded in 2024. By adding a staggering 81 GW of capacity in a single calendar year, India has solidified its position as a global clean energy titan, effectively more than doubling its production capabilities in just twelve months.

This exponential growth is part of a decade-long transformation of India’s industrial landscape. Since 2014, when the country’s solar manufacturing base stood at a modest 2.3 GW, capacity has expanded over 62 times. This "hockey-stick" growth curve underscores the success of the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) initiative and the government’s unwavering commitment to building a robust, future-ready clean energy ecosystem that reduces heavy reliance on imported components.

The dramatic surge in 2025 is largely attributed to the government's aggressive policy interventions, most notably the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. By offering financial incentives for high-efficiency solar modules, the PLI scheme has encouraged domestic giants and new entrants alike to set up massive, state-of-the-art factories. These facilities are now churning out advanced modules at a scale that allows Indian manufacturers to compete not only on quality but also on price with established international players.

Strategic regulatory moves like the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) have also played a decisive role in this expansion. By mandating that government-backed projects source modules from ALMM-listed domestic manufacturers, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has created a guaranteed market for local players. This "market-first" approach has provided the long-term demand visibility necessary for companies to justify multi-billion dollar investments in new production lines and high-efficiency technologies like TOPCon and Mono PERC.

While module assembly has taken the lead, the government is now pivoting toward backward integration to secure the entire value chain. While module capacity has reached 144 GW, solar cell manufacturing—the high-tech heart of the panel—has also grown significantly to approximately 24–25 GW. To bridge this gap, the government recently introduced the Approved List of Cell Manufacturers (ALCM), which will mandate that all ALMM-listed modules use domestically produced cells starting in June 2026, forcing a rapid ramp-up in upstream manufacturing.

Beyond energy security, this manufacturing boom is a major driver of the "Green Economy." The expansion to 144 GW has created hundreds of thousands of jobs across the supply chain, from specialized engineering roles to logistics and ancillary industries like solar glass and aluminum framing. Furthermore, the increased capacity is positioning India as a "China+1" alternative for global markets, with Indian solar exports rising significantly as international developers look for reliable, high-quality supply chains outside of traditional hubs.

As India enters 2026, the 144 GW milestone serves as a powerful launchpad for the nation's 2030 targets. With a goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by the end of the decade, the ability to manufacture the majority of its solar hardware domestically is a strategic necessity. By transforming from a consumer to a global supplier of solar technology, India is not just powering its own growth but is also playing a leading role in the global fight against climate change.