Solar Power In India: What Next?

Gujarat has always championed the usage of solar power, and until very recently was the leading state in having the largest number installed capacity of the same. In August 2015, Rajasthan overtook it for the first position with an installed capacity of 1047.1 MW. Gujarat then, a close second of 1000 MW.

Gujarat slipped to second place due to the lack of installation of additional power plants and the deteriorating enthusiasm among solar power developers in Gujarat. Even though Madhya Pradesh has little more than just 50% of the installed capacity of Gujarat, it is giving a tough fight to Gujarat for the second post. Several factors have proven to be favourable for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh like robust marketing, land prices being cheaper than Gujarat, favourable policies etc.

The Indian market is very lucrative for renewable energy, especially  for solar power with states like Rajasthan and Gujarat having vast barren lands for proper installation of solar grids. There is a very optimistic plan of reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).