Rajasthan emerged as the leading state for solar open access installations in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026. The state commissioned over 1 GW of solar open access capacity during the quarter, accounting for 39% of India’s newly added open access capacity, according to Mercom’s Q1 2026 India Solar Open Access Market Report.

The state’s installations increased by 1,371% year-over-year and 2,472% quarter-over-quarter, rebounding from the slowdown observed in the previous quarter due to transmission availability constraints.

India added 2.7 GW of open-access solar capacity in Q1 2026, a 160% increase from Q1 2025 and a 55% increase from Q4 2025.

Open access projects accounted for 21% of Rajasthan’s total large-scale solar installations during the quarter, reflecting growing demand from commercial and industrial consumers. Of the capacity added during Q1 2026, standalone solar projects accounted for 82%, while the remaining installations came from solar-plus-wind projects.

The commissioning of CleanMax Enviro Energy’s 400 MW solar project drove 39% of the quarter’s solar open access capacity additions.

As of March 2026, Rajasthan ranked third in cumulative solar open access capacity, with more than 5 GW installed, accounting for 16% of the country’s total open access capacity.

Solar open access projects accounted for 13% of the state’s cumulative large-scale solar capacity. Standalone solar projects dominated cumulative installations, accounting for 93% of the total, followed by solar-plus-wind projects at 7% and solar-plus-battery storage projects at 0.3%. Floating solar projects accounted for the remaining marginal share.

Policy Support

Rajasthan has continued to strengthen its regulatory framework for open access and emerging renewable energy technologies.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission reduced transmission and wheeling charges for open access consumers for FY27. The state also approved Green Energy Open Access procedures and aligned captive power regulations with the Central Government’s revised framework, providing greater regulatory clarity for captive and group captive projects.

The introduction of dual power connection provisions for high-load consumers is expected to provide greater procurement flexibility for high-tension (HT) and extra-high-tension (EHT) consumers, including the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), data centers, and other essential service categories.

Rajasthan also finalized regulations for battery energy storage systems and notified resource adequacy regulations, reflecting an increased focus on grid reliability, peak-demand management, and the procurement of firm renewable power.

In addition, Rajasthan remains one of India’s most attractive solar open access markets due to its strong renewable resource base, large industrial demand centers, and established renewable energy ecosystem.

According to the state load dispatch center, Rajasthan is expected to end up with a spare transmission capacity of up to 5.5 GW over the next two years, supporting the state’s renewable energy growth. However, transmission congestion and renewable energy curtailment continue to persist in some regions during periods of high solar generation due to evacuation constraints. These challenges are prompting developers to increasingly adopt battery storage, hybrid configurations, and grid-aligned project designs to improve power offtake reliability and reduce operational risks as transmission infrastructure continues to expand.

According to Mercom India Research, Rajasthan has the largest solar open access development pipeline in the country, highlighting strong growth prospects for the market in the coming quarters. Standalone solar projects accounted for 67% of the state’s development pipeline.

Mercom’s solar open access tracker provides key details of installed and pipeline projects, including captive, group captive, third-party sale, and solar park projects across India.

The Q1 2026 India Solar Open Access Market Report covers state-wise open access charges, electricity tariffs, power purchase agreement tariffs, installed and pipeline project capacities, policy updates, and other critical information and data on the market.