Bhubaneswar: India has concluded the financial year 2025–26 with a historic surge in solar energy production, marking its strongest annual growth to date. National data reveals that the country added over 44 GW of solar capacity during the year, capped off by a massive addition of more than 6 GW in March alone.
Central to this national success story is the state of Odisha, which has transitioned from a traditional mineral-rich industrial hub to a rising leader in the renewable energy sector. During the 2025–26 period, Odisha significantly ramped up its solar infrastructure, driven by a combination of large-scale utility projects and a robust push for decentralized energy.
Additional Chief Secretary Energy and E&IT Shri Vishal Kumar Dev is regularly monitoring the progress. One of the standout achievements for the state this year is its aggressive adoption of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
To accelerate the transition for residential consumers, the Odisha Government recently announced an additional state support package of 4.95 billion rupees to subsidize rooftop solar installations. This funding is being channeled through the Odisha Akshaya Shakti Bikash Yojana (OASBY), aiming to benefit over 1.5 lakh households. Currently, more than 1.6 lakh families in the state have applied for the scheme, with over 23,000 installations already completed as of late 2025.
On the industrial and utility scale, Odisha is breaking new ground in manufacturing and storage. The state cabinet recently cleared a landmark 10,000 crore rupee investment by Tata Power Renewable Energy to establish an integrated solar manufacturing facility in Ganjam. This project, which covers the entire value chain from ingots and wafers to solar cells, is expected to create 5,000 jobs and position Odisha as a manufacturing base for the country’s solar supply chain.
Furthermore, the Odisha Renewable Energy Investor Conclave 2026 held in Puri earlier this year secured investment commitments totaling 67,000 crore rupees. These agreements cover nearly 6.8 GW of new capacity, including innovative floating solar projects on the state’s reservoirs and 1,000 MW of pumped storage projects to ensure grid stability.
The state has set a visionary target to meet 33% of its power needs from renewable sources by 2036 and 50% by 2047. With its current renewable capacity already accounting for more than 34% of its total installed power capacity, Odisha’s contribution to the national 44 GW milestone underscores its transformation into a green energy powerhouse.
MNRE Secretary Shri Santosh Sarangi’s review noted that the synergy between central schemes and state-level incentives in Odisha serves as a model for consistent and scalable growth in the solar sector. Shri Sarangi is happy with progress.