A Third of India’s Green Power Originates from Gujarat: Union Minister Prahlad Joshi

Addressing the seminar on “Energy Self-Reliance” during the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC), the Union Minister said that several significant changes have taken place in India’s energy sector. “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that every household would generate electricity, people mocked the idea — but today, the nation is illuminated through rooftop solar systems. Gujarat’s Modhera village has become India’s first solar village,” he said.

The Minister further noted that various states have made remarkable progress in renewable energy. India has set a target of producing 100 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, a goal that, according to him, could be achieved ahead of schedule. Gujarat, he added, has made far greater progress in central energy schemes compared to other states.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, addressing the seminar, said that when the world was searching for alternative sources of energy, Narendra Modi had emphasized solar energy, establishing Asia’s largest solar plant at Charanka in North Gujarat. Gujarat has also formulated special policies for renewable energy and green hydrogen.

He pointed out that Gujarat has installed three lakh (300,000) solar rooftops, while along with Modhera, Mashali village in Banaskantha has also become 100% solar-powered. The world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park is operational at Khavda in Kutch. In 2001, Gujarat produced only 99 megawatts of renewable energy, which has now risen to 31,403 megawatts.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy and Petrochemicals Department, S. J. Haider, said that the Vibrant Gujarat initiative represents a journey of energy, enterprise, and progress. Gujarat’s steps toward energy self-reliance are shaping a future that is both sustainable and empowered through new energy sources.

At the same seminar, Jinal Mehta, Managing Director of Torrent Group, said that the Prime Minister has provided a clear vision for renewable energy and launched several complementary schemes — in which Gujarat continues to lead. On this occasion, 22 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed in the energy sector.