Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh lead the country in solar energy potential, according to the authors of the newly released report. The research indicates that nearly every Indian state has significant solar resources, with the total national potential far exceeding current electricity requirements.
“A government assessment estimates 3,343 GW of feasible ground-mounted solar potential, using just 6.7% of suitable wasteland with high irradiance.” Additionally, the report highlights that “states such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have far more potential than their own electricity demand.”
In simpler terms, India has a massive amount of “wasteland”—areas that aren’t being used for farming or housing—that gets a lot of direct sunlight. If solar panels were placed on just a tiny sliver of this unused land, it would create more than enough power for the whole country. In some states, there is so much sun and space that they could easily produce more electricity than their citizens could ever use.
The report “Battery storage is now cheap enough to unleash India’s full solar potential” was published by the energy think tank Ember on April 7, 2026. It was prepared by a team of analysts led by Kostantsa Rangelova and Duttatreya Das.
