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					</table><p>The <a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government</a> will soon announce a utility-led program under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana to enable households without suitable rooftop space to benefit from the program, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said.</p>
<p>He was speaking before presenting the Mercom India Awards at the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/renewables-summit-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewables Summit 2025</a>.</p>
<p>Joshi said 1.72 million rooftop solar systems have been installed under the PM Surya Ghar program as of date. “These numbers reveal the real progress on the ground.”</p>
<p>Listing out India’s achievements in the energy transition, he said the country had already met 50% of the target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based renewable energy capacity, five years ahead of schedule. “The 500 GW goal is not merely a slogan, we will achieve it.”</p>
<p>India now has the second-lowest levelized cost of energy globally, he said. He also referred to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, which highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision for renewable energy had saved ₹4 trillion (~$46.3 billion) in monetary value and prevented 400 million tons of carbon emissions, the Minister said.</p>
<p>Joshi said while India had achieved much in the renewable energy sector, there were some challenges for which the government was taking suitable measures. He referred to the need for modernizing the electricity grid to integrate rising solar and wind energy.</p>
<p>“We will do whatever it takes to have a modernized, flexible grid including the use of Artificial Intelligence,” he said.</p>
<p>Joshi said the ministry was having zonal review meetings with chief ministers, energy ministers, and distribution companies. Every state has now been made accountable to meet the Renewable Consumption Obligation.</p>
<p>Work was also going on to augment the capacity of the transmission and distribution network. On energy storage, he said battery energy storage system (BESS) was now a core renewable energy component. A viability gap funding (VGF) for 30 GWh of BESS capacity had been <a href="https://mercomindia.com/government-54-billion-vgf-battery-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a>, he said.</p>
<p>Joshi said the government’s goal is make India a global manufacturing hub of clean energy by integrating all components of the solar supply chain from polysilicon to modules. To promote domestic manufacturing further, solar cells will be brought under the ambit of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers from July next year.</p>
<p>The minister said a lot of research and development work was going on in the solar sector, with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru working on improving the efficiency of perovskite solar cells. “The initial results of the research are good.”</p>
<p>“Enhancing the efficiency levels of perovskite solar cells to 29% and above will reduce the requirement of land for solar projects,” he said.</p>


MNRE to Launch Utility-led Program for Rural Households Under Surya Ghar


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/winners-of-mercoms-2024-renewable-industry-awards-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>At the </strong><strong>Mercom India Renewables Summit 2024 in New Delhi</strong><strong>, Mercom India announced the winners of the fourth annual Mercom India Awards</strong></a>. These prestigious awards honor the exceptional contributions of organizations that are propelling India’s clean energy transition and championing the country’s environmental goals through remarkable innovation and visionary leadership. The awards recognize each project’s uniqueness, challenges, and complexities and their economic and environmental impacts. Union Minister for New &amp; Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi presented the awards to the winners.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indias-clean-energy-transition-targets-demand-greater-urgency" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The overarching issues relating to the Indian renewables sector were discussed on the first day of the two-day </strong><strong>Mercom India Renewables Summit 2024</strong></a>, an exclusive event that is being held in New Delhi. The event started with a keynote by Raj Prabhu, CEO &amp; Co-Founder at Mercom Capital Group, and Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India. The panelists at the session <strong>‘Accelerating India’s Energy Transition: Urgency is the Driving Force’</strong> had an engaging discussion on defining the shape and roadmap for India’s renewable energy future. The session featured Sudeep Jain (IAS), Additional Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; R.P. Gupta, CMD of Solar Energy Corporation of India; Indra Chandra Prasad Keshari, Advisor – Infrastructure and Energy at Adani Green Energy; Sarit Maheshwari, CEO of NTPC Renewable Energy; and Raj Prabhu, CEO &amp; Co-Founder at Mercom Capital Group.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/policies-must-focus-on-entire-value-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The country’s domestic solar manufacturing sector is experiencing a significant transformation driven by government initiatives and industry commitment</strong></a>. As the country strives for self-reliance in renewable energy production, key stakeholders navigate challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving landscape. The insights from the Mercom India Renewables Summit from various industry leaders and government officials provide a comprehensive view of India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem. On the first day of the Mercom India Renewables Summit in New Delhi, panelists at a session, ‘<strong>The Rise of Domestic Manufacturing: Strategies to Meet Growing Demand</strong>,’ deliberated on the challenges and opportunities for India’s renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rays-power-infra-raises-%E2%82%B91-27-billion-via-equity-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Solar EPC and turnkey solution provider </strong><strong>Rays Power Infra</strong><strong> has raised ₹1.27 billion (~$15.17 million) in equity capital</strong></a> from a clutch of high-net-worth individuals, family offices, funds, and partners in alternative investment funds. The round brings the company’s total funding to nearly ₹2 billion (~$23.89 million). The company maintained a stake dilution of less than 5% with this infusion of capital. The company is preparing to file its financial documents later this year, aiming to raise more money to support its plans to grow by more than 50%.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Winners of 4th Annual Mercom India Awards Announced


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					</table><p>Pralhad Joshi has been appointed the Minister of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) in the National Democratic Alliance government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Manohar Lal Khattar is the new Minister of Power.</p>
<p>In the previous government, R K Singh held both the Power and MNRE portfolios as Cabinet minister. This time, two Cabinet ministers will handle the two portfolios separately.</p>
<p>Shripad Naik has been given charge as Minister of State for both the ministries.</p>
<p>The Prime Minister’s decision to appoint a cabinet minister for each of the two portfolios comes as a surprise, considering that the Ministry of Power and MNRE share a lot of synergies. Many of the ministries’ functions and policies overlap, which is perhaps why R K Singh was made the sole minister of both ministries in Modi’s last dispensation.</p>
<p>However, given India’s aggressive renewable energy push in the last few years, it could well be that the Prime Minister has decided to give more importance to MNRE by designating a Cabinet minister to be in charge of the ministry.</p>
<p>India now has the third-highest solar energy capacity globally. In the first quarter of 2024, India added over 10 GW of solar capacity, the highest-ever for a quarter, according to the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2024-india-solar-market-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2024 India Solar Market Update</a> from Mercom India Research. 2024 could turn out to be a record year for solar capacity additions.</p>
<p>The government has set a target of installing 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade. It has also launched the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million households. The MNRE has set up a mission directorate to <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-sets-set-up-solar-program-implementation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oversee</a> the implementation of the ambitious program.</p>
<p>Joshi, Minister of Coal and Mines in the previous government, will be expected to sustain and build on these ongoing renewable energy initiatives. He also held the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs, which has helped build a rapport with all political parties, some of whom are in government in the states. This experience should help him push through renewable energy programs requiring buy-in from parties across the board.</p>
<p>Under Joshi’s charge, the Ministry of Mines launched the first-ever auctions of critical minerals used in the energy transition. Three tranches of the auctions have been held so far.</p>
<p>Khattar, a former chief minister of Haryana, assumed charge of the Ministry of Power and immediately got down to business by reviewing the power supply position in the country with his officials.</p>
<p>His role would be crucial when power demand across the country has been scaling new highs due to heightened industrial activity in recent years. Between him and Joshi, the two ministries will have to work together to integrate more renewable energy into the overall power mix to complement coal-based thermal and ensure the electricity demands of India’s economic engine are met.</p>


Pralhad Joshi Gets MNRE Portfolio, Khattar is New Minister of Power

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