India adds 3GW of solar capacity in Q1 as developers stockpile PV modules

May 26, 2022
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Rajasthan became the first state to install a cumulative of 10GW of large-scale solar PV. Image: Total Eren.

India installed 3GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of the year, a 50% increase from Q1 2021, according to a new report from research firm Mercom India Research.

During Q1 2022 large-scale solar added 2.7GW, a 53% year-over-year increase and accounted for 85% of total installations, with the remaining 15% from rooftop solar.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

With the basic customs duty (BCD) taking effect in 1 April 2022, solar modules imports significantly increased with developers stockpiling them ahead of BCD and procured more than 10GW of modules during Q1 2022.

Renewables accounted for nearly 81% of new power capacity added during the first quarter of the year, 68% coming from solar PV.

Rajasthan led solar installations during Q1 2022 and became the first state to pass 10GW of cumulative large-scale solar PV as of March 2022 and accounts for almost a quarter of total installations in India.

Total installed solar capacity in India sits at 52GW, of which around 45GW is from large-scale solar, and according to Mercom’s report total installations for the year will not reach 80GW and miss its 100GW target for this year.

Tenders were halved during Q1 2022 to 5GW compared to last year’s Q1, and is also down 18% from Q4 2021 which sat at 6GW.

Read Next

October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.
October 15, 2025
Ciel & Terre has launched a new floating PV structure designed to address the increasingly large scale of floating solar projects.
October 15, 2025
Indian module manufacturer Saatvik Green Energy, through its subsidiary Saatvik Solar Industries, has secured solar PV module orders worth INR6.89 billion (US$78 million).
October 14, 2025
India has installed 4.9GW of residential rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2025, according to a report by IEEFA and JMK Research.
October 10, 2025
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat to develop 15GW renewable energy projects in Gujarat.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK