India's Solar Open Access Installations Surge 160% YoY to 2.7 GW in Q1 2026

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Researched by IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)--India added 2.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar open access capacity during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 160% year-on-year increase compared to 1 GW installed in first-quarter 2025, according to the latest report by Mercom India. The installations also rose 55% sequentially from 1.7 GW added in fourth-quarter 2025, making it the second-highest quarterly installation figure recorded in the country's solar open-access segment. As of March, India's cumulative installed solar open-access capacity reached 32.9 GW, with Rajasthan accounting for 39% of total additions during the quarter.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 1,090 solar projects worth US$217.33 billion in India.

Favorable Environment for Growth

The strong growth was primarily driven by developers accelerating project execution ahead of the transition to ALMM List-II-compliant solar cells and modules amid concerns over supply shortages and rising procurement costs.

Favorable state policies, faster approvals, and growing market awareness further supported project additions across key industrial and commercial markets. Despite increasing regulatory restrictions in several states affecting open-access savings, consumers continued to prefer long-term green power procurement through power purchase agreements due to tariff visibility and sustainability commitments.

In the power trading segment, Adani Green Energy emerged as the leading seller in the Green Day-Ahead Market (G-DAM) during fourth-quarter 2025, accounting for 34% of electricity sold.

The report from Mercom India also highlighted significant growth in renewable energy trading activities, with Renewable Energy Certificate trading volumes on the Indian Energy Exchange increasing 285% quarter-on-quarter, while Green Term-Ahead Market trading volumes declined 40% sequentially.

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