India set out to build 20 GW of solar power by 2022. It ended up committing to five times that much, and still got there late but big. This article covers the National Solar Mission itself, the institutional programme behind India’s solar build-out.
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National Solar Mission
A 20 GW target grew fivefold, and India still hit it, just years behind schedule.
JAN 2010
Mission Launched
One of eight core missions under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.
2015
Target Quintupled
The Union Budget raises the 2022 goal from 20 GW to 100 GW.
2017–2022
Phase 3 Runs
The Mission’s final phase, targeting the full 100,000 MW.
31 JAN 2025
100 GW Crossed
India becomes the 4th country worldwide to reach 100 GW of solar capacity.
Why the delay didn’t matter much: the 100 GW target, set for 2022, actually landed in January 2025 — three years late, but still a fivefold jump from the original goal.
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Timeline.
From Launch to 100 GW.
- January 2010 The National Solar Mission launches, as one of eight core missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
- 2015 The Union Budget raises the Mission’s 2022 target, from 20 GW to 100 GW of grid-connected solar power.
- 2017-2022 Phase 3 runs, targeting the full 100,000 MW cumulative grid-connected goal.
- 31 January 2025 India crosses 100 GW of installed solar capacity, becoming the fourth country worldwide to do so.
Must Know.
The Mission’s Core Facts.
Launch and Institutional Setup.
- Name. The National Solar Mission, formally the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), launched in January 2010.
- Parent Plan. It is one of eight core missions under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
- Nodal Agency. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the Mission’s nodal agency.
The Target That Quintupled.
- Original Target. The Mission’s original target was 20 GW of grid-connected solar power by 2022.
- Raised. This was raised to 100 GW in the 2015 Union Budget, a fivefold jump.
Good to Know.
Three Phases of Rollout.
Phase-wise Targets.
- Structure. The Mission was structured in three phases, aligned with India’s Five-Year Plan periods.
- Phase 1 (2010-2013). Targeted 1,000 MW of grid-connected solar, plus 200 MW off-grid.
- Phase 2 (2013-2017). Raised the cumulative grid-connected target to 4,000-10,000 MW, plus 1,000 MW off-grid.
- Phase 3 (2017-2022). Set the final cumulative target at 100,000 MW grid-connected, plus 2,000 MW off-grid.
Test Yourself.
Great to Know.
The Overshoot, and What It Enabled.
100 GW, Three Years Late.
- Delay. India actually crossed the 100 GW mark on 31 January 2025, about three years after the Mission’s original 2022 deadline.
- Scale. The scale of the overshoot mattered more than the delay: five times the original 20 GW goal, eventually met.
- Unusual Move. Revising a target upward mid-course, rather than just missing the original one, is unusual for a government scheme. It reflects how fast solar costs fell through the 2010s, making a once-ambitious number look achievable well before the deadline.
PM-KUSUM and Related Reading.
- PM-KUSUM. PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan), launched in March 2019, complements the Mission with a farmer-focused push. It targets 34,800 MW of solar capacity through solar pumps and solarised agricultural feeders, backed by ₹34,422 crore in central funding.
- Related Article. The Mission set the institutional and target framework. The actual build-out story, current capacity figures, tariff history, and state-wise leaders are covered in IndEco0121 — Solar Energy in India.
Current Affairs.
Domestic Content Rules Are Still Live in 2026.
1 June 2026: ALMM List-II Domestic Cell Mandate Takes Effect.
- Policy. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s amended Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) Order now requires government-backed solar projects to use only solar cells listed on ALMM List-II, effective 1 June 2026. So what: this is a direct descendant of the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) idea from the National Solar Mission’s early phases, this time targeting solar cells, not just modules. (Source: PV Tech)
- Scale Gap. Domestic solar cell manufacturing capacity, at roughly 31 GW, still trails India’s much larger module manufacturing capacity of around 193 GW. So what: this gap is why some project developers got exemption windows, rather than the mandate applying to every solar project outright. (Source: Down To Earth)
30 June 2026: India’s Solar Capacity Reaches 162.15 GW.
- Data. India’s installed solar capacity reached 162.15 GW as of 30 June 2026, up 57-fold from 2.82 GW in 2013-14, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy told the Lok Sabha. So what: this is the real-world scoreboard for the Mission’s target-quintupling story above, still climbing years after the original 100 GW deadline. (Source: ANI)
Previous Year Questions
Previous Year Questions.
UPSC CSP 2017 — Domestic Content Requirement.
- UPSC 2017 The term “Domestic Content Requirement” refers to developing solar power production in India, not to foreign TV licences, food exports, or foreign university campuses. It required solar developers to source certain solar cells and modules domestically, under the National Solar Mission’s own procurement rules. The requirement was later challenged at the WTO, and its Appellate Body ruled against India in 2016. See UPSC CSP 2017 GS Paper I, Q27.
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