India Surpasses the U.S. to Rank Second in Global Solar New Installations

India has surpassed the U.S. to become the second-largest solar installation market globally in 2025, according to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) data. While China maintains its dominant lead with 315GW of new installations, India's rapid growth in large-scale solar parks and distributed solar capacity positions it as a new growth engine for the global solar market. The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reported 37GW of new solar capacity installed in 2025, outpacing the U.S.'s 34GW and trailing only China. India's cumulative solar capacity reached 150.26GW by March 2026, growing from 2.8GW in 2014 to 50GW in 2022, 100GW in 2025, and surpassing 150GW in less than a year. The 2025-2026 fiscal year saw 44.61GW of new installations, nearly double the 23.83GW installed in the previous fiscal year. The government's policy incentives, manufacturing capacity expansion, and initiatives like the PM KUSUM program have driven this growth.