India’s total installed solar capacity has crossed 72 GW. Moreover, a recent IEA report revealed that the nation is expected to meet 18% of its energy requirement through solar by 2030.

Today, India ranks third in Asia and fourth in the world in terms of its solar power generation. It currently accounts for about 38% of the total renewable energy capacity. The country’s largest solar power plants are located in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

India’s solar power sector has grown rapidly over the past decade, with utility-scale solar parks now contributing some of the country’s largest renewable-energy installations.

Among India’s biggest solar projects are Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka, Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh, Rewa Ultra Mega Solar in Madhya Pradesh, and Kamuthi Solar Power Project in Tamil Nadu.

Together, these five projects represent more than 6.6 GW of installed solar capacity. But their importance goes beyond their size. Each project helped demonstrate a different approach to developing utility-scale solar in India — from large-scale tracking and automated cleaning at Bhadla to Pavagada’s land-lease model and Rewa’s innovative tariff structure.

Five India’s Largest Solar Power Plants

The solar power plants given below are based on the power they produce. Currently, Bhadla Solar Park is the largest solar power plant in India.

Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan

• Location: Bhadla, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan
• Capacity: 2.25 GW
• Power Generation: 2245 MW
• Area of ​​the park: 14000 acres

• Commissioning: 2015–2020, in phases

Bhadla Solar Park is one of India’s largest solar park in the world in terms of energy generation and the second-largest solar park in terms of area.

The average temperature in Bhadla is between 46 – 48 degrees centigrade. Bhadla is a sandy, dry and dry area, spread over about 45 square kilometers. The temperature makes it perfect for solar energy generation.

The approximate amount of money spent to build the largest solar park in India is about ₹10,000 crores.

This solar plant was developed in phases, with contributions by many stakeholders. The construction and maintenance work of this solar park has been done by Vikas Company Limited (a subsidiary company of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited), Solar Energy Company (a Joint Venture Company of the Government of Rajasthan and IL&FS Energy Development Company), and Adani Renewable Energy Park Rajasthan, etc.

Technology and operating challenges

Large-scale solar installations in desert regions must manage high temperatures, dust, and soiling. Automated cleaning technologies and solar tracking systems have been deployed across parts of projects in the region to improve operational performance.

Bhadla demonstrates an important principle for solar projects of every size: technology should be selected according to site conditions.

The economics of solar trackers, robotic cleaning, or other advanced technologies depend on factors such as:

• Soiling rates
• Water availability
• Land availability
• Solar irradiation
• Cleaning costs
• Maintenance requirements
• Expected energy gains

What works economically at a desert-based utility-scale project may not necessarily be the right solution for a commercial rooftop installation.

Pavagada Solar Park, Karnataka

• Location: Pavagada, Tumakuru district, Karnataka

• Capacity: Approximately 2.05 GW

• Area: Approximately 53 km²
• Output Power: 2050 MW

• Commissioning: 2018–2019

Pavagada Solar Park, also known as Shakti Sthala, is one of India’s largest operational solar parks. This solar park is located in Karnataka. It supports many other solar plants due to its highly supportive geographic position. This solar park started generating energy in the year 2018.

Pavagada Solar Park was constructed with the help of Karnataka Solar Park Development Corporation Limited (KSPDCL), a joint venture company of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

In September 2023, the Karnataka Energy Department announced plans to increase the capacity of Pavagada Solar Park by 3 GW. Once this additional capacity is commissioned, Pavagada Solar Park will become the largest such facility in Asia.

Pavagada’s land-lease model

One of Pavagada’s most significant contributions to India’s solar sector was its approach to land acquisition and development.

Instead of purchasing all the required land outright, the project used a long-term land-lease model involving more than 2,300 local farmers.

This approach provided landowners with recurring lease income while allowing the project to assemble a large enough area for utility-scale solar development.

The model remains relevant for modern ground-mounted commercial and industrial solar projects, where leasing land can sometimes be a practical alternative to purchasing it.

Future expansion

Pavagada has also been associated with plans for significant future capacity expansion. If proposed additional capacity is commissioned, the project could further strengthen Karnataka’s position as one of India’s leading solar-energy states.

Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, Andhra Pradesh

• Location: Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
• Output Power: 1000 MW
• Area of ​​the park: 5,932.32 acres

Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park is spread over an area of ​​5,932.32 acres in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and is currently on the list of the world’s largest solar parks.

The plant was set up within 2 years, in association with Andhra Pradesh Solar Energy Corporation, Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation, and New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation. The estimated amount of money spent to build this solar park was about Rs 7,143 crore.

NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Park, Andhra Pradesh

• Location: Anantapuram, Andhra Pradesh
• Output Power: 978.5 MW
• Area of ​​the park: 7,924.76 acres

This solar park is also known as Anantapuram Ultra Mega Solar Park. It is spread over a total area of ​​7,924.76 acres in Nambulpulkunta Mandal in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh state of India. Commissioned in May 2016, the park is owned by Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited, APSPCL.

Rewa Ultra Mega Solar, Madhya Pradesh

• Location: Rewa, Madhya Pradesh
• Output Power: 750 MW
• Area of ​​the park: 1590 acres

Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is constructed by Reva Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) which is a joint venture between Madhya Pradesh Energy Development Corporation Limited (MPUVNL) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). This is the first and only solar project in India so far funded by the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). It is also the only solar power plant in India to receive concessional loans from World Bank’s International Finance Corporation

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