New Delhi — India’s energy sector has moved decisively toward surplus power generation, seamless grid integration, and global leadership in renewable energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday, describing the past 11 years as a period of transformative change driven by clear vision and sustained execution.
Goyal said the transformation of the energy sector was deliberate and strategic, marking India’s transition from power scarcity to power security and now toward long-term power sustainability. He added that as the country moves toward its Viksit Bharat goal for 2047, India’s energy journey is poised to emerge as a global case study in managing scale, speed, and sustainability simultaneously.
Addressing a briefing, the minister said India recorded its highest-ever coal production of 1,048 million tonnes in FY 2024–25, even as coal imports declined by about 8 percent, reflecting improved domestic capacity and efficiency.
He noted that India’s solar power capacity has increased 46-fold over the past 11 years, making the country the world’s third-largest solar power producer. Wind power capacity has also seen significant growth, rising from 21 GW in 2014 to 53 GW in 2025.
Goyal said India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest refining hub and is working to expand refining capacity by 20 percent. In the natural gas sector, he said 34,238 kilometers of pipeline have been authorized, with 25,923 kilometers already operational.
The minister also referred to the proposed SHANTI Bill, which aims to open the nuclear energy sector to private participation.
Goyal outlined five key pillars underpinning the energy sector’s transformation. The first pillar is universal access, with electricity provided to every household under the Saubhagya scheme. He said 47.4 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under the UJALA program, leading to lower electricity bills and reduced carbon emissions.
The second pillar is affordability. Goyal said GST on solar, wind, and other clean energy equipment was reduced from 12 percent to 5 percent. He added that India achieved its 20 percent ethanol blending target ahead of schedule, a goal originally set for 2030, and that inter-state transmission charges have been waived for the sale of solar and wind power.
Availability forms the third pillar. Power shortages have declined sharply from 4.2 percent in 2013 to just 0.1 percent in 2025, he said, while the creation of a unified national grid has enabled the country to meet a record peak power demand of 250 GW.
The fourth pillar is financial viability. Goyal said reforms under the PM-UDAY scheme have strengthened the power distribution sector, reducing DISCOM dues from Rs 1.4 lakh crore in 2022 to Rs 6,500 crore in 2025.
The fifth pillar is sustainability and global responsibility. Goyal said India has become the first G20 nation to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, with non-fossil fuel sources now accounting for 50 percent of the country’s installed power generation capacity. (Source: IANS)
