Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],

Purveyors of news in India are by now used to big headline numbers and announcements. Such is the business of politics. But keeping scepticism aside, I’d say it probably helps to aim for the moon; one can at least land amongst the stars. 

This has kind of played out in solar energy, to an extent. 

In 2015, the present government took the old solar mission of 2010 under its wings and set an audacious target—to have 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, with 40% coming from rooftop solar. This would mean clocking a 27X growth in solar capacity in just seven years, from just 3.7 GW at the end of 2015. 

The goal was set, and the power and renewable energy ministries swung into action to work backwards from 2022. 

In December 2022, however, when the minister for new and renewable energy placed a written reply before Parliament, it was apparent India had fallen short of the goal—by about 38%. Against the target of 100 GW, installed solar power capacity as of October 2022 stood at just 61.6 GW.