Floating Solar Push: Govt Policy in the Works

New Delhi, May 1 (PTI) The government is working on a dedicated scheme to give a push to floating solar projects in the country, MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi has said.

The senior ministry official made the remarks at the 13th Foundation Day of the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) in the national capital on Friday.

"We are actively looking at ways in which land does not become a constraint for deployment of solar modules," Sarangi said in his address.

In terms of floating solar, the ministry is looking at a scheme which will encourage the states to go for much larger-scale floating solar projects, which till now have not reached their desired potential.


Under floating solar projects, solar panel systems are installed on water bodies, and they are more energy-efficient than land-based systems due to the cooling effect of water.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Shripad Yesso Naik launched NSEFI Sustainable Energy Federation of India.

"With the creation of the NSEFI Sustainable Energy Federation of Industry, the organisation will now integrate its ongoing efforts in electricity and agriculture with new focus areas in Industrial and Mobility decarbonization, creating a unified platform to accelerate India's transition to a Net Zero Economy," NSEFI CEO Subrahmanyam Pulipaka said.

According to an official statement, India's solar energy installed capacity has increased 53.28 from 2.82 GW in March 2014 to 150.26 GW in March 2026, registering an increase of 147.44 GW. Of them, floating solar capacity stands around 700 MW.