India’s Renewable Energy Transition: Evaluating Sustainable Solar Sector Growth, Governance, and Future Prospects

India’s solar sector has undergone rapid expansion over the past decade, emerging as a central pillar of the country’s clean energy transition. With cumulative installed capacity reaching 116.25 GW by mid-2025, solar power now constitutes the largest share of India’s renewable energy portfolio. This paper examines the policy architecture, growth trajectory, state-level performance, and structural challenges shaping India’s solar expansion. It evaluates the role of institutional initiatives such as the ‘National Solar Mission’ and industrial measures including domestic manufacturing incentives in strengthening the sector. The analysis also highlights financial constraints, grid integration gaps, land acquisition complexities, and regional disparities that influence implementation outcomes. By situating solar development within the broader goals of sustainability, ‘Viksit Bharat’, and global climate commitments, the study argues that India’s solar transition represents both an economic opportunity and a governance challenge requiring coordinated policy reform and long-term institutional capacity building.