India hits 9% solar share earlier in development than China

Ember tracks clean electricity growth at lower income levels.

Solar power accounted for about 9% of India’s electricity generation in 2025, according to an analysis by Ember. 

India is now meeting rising electricity demand through clean energy earlier in its development trajectory than China did, the report said. Solar generation in India rose from about 0.5% a decade ago to its current level. 

Ember described this shift as part of an “electrotech” transition, where electrification and clean power reinforce each other to deliver faster and lower-cost electricity growth. 

It added that India’s experience illustrates how power demand can be met through solar-led expansion rather than coal-heavy development models.

India reached 5% solar generation when the country is roughly at $9,000 GDP per capita. At the same stage, China’s power system remained heavily dependent on coal. 

Coal continues to supply a large share of India’s electricity, but growth has slowed. The report added that clean power is now playing a larger role in meeting new demand than during earlier stages of development.