Key facts
- The IEA said renewable electricity saved India more than $100 billion in coal and natural gas import costs from 2011 to 2025.
- The IEA said cumulative savings are expected to more than double by 2030.
- The IEA said India's 2025 coal imports would have been about 110 million tonnes higher without capacity added since 2010.
- The IEA said India is on track to reach a 35 percent renewable share of its energy mix by 2030.
- The IEA said sustaining the expansion will require faster investment in grids, storage and system flexibility.
- IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said India's experience offers lessons for other emerging economies.
India's renewable electricity saved the country more than $100 billion in coal and natural gas import costs between 2011 and 2025, the International Energy Agency said in its India Renewable Energy Market Report 2026, published on November 5, 2026. The IEA said cumulative savings are expected to more than double by 2030.
The agency said that without the solar, wind and bioenergy capacity added since 2010, India's coal imports in 2025 would have been around 110 million tonnes higher. It said India has quadrupled its installed clean energy production capacity over the past decade and is on track to double the share of renewables in its national energy mix to 35 percent by 2030.
"India's renewables expansion is delivering major benefits for its energy security at a time of heightened uncertainty in global energy markets," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "As countries look to strengthen domestic energy supplies, India's experience shows how consistent policies can help drive down renewable energy costs and attract investment, offering valuable lessons for other emerging economies."
The IEA said sustaining the expansion will require faster investment in electricity grids, storage and system flexibility, alongside stronger utility finances and fewer project delays. The report also said India is the world's second-largest producer of solar panels, after China.