Indian Oil using solar power at 36,000 retail outlets in push to green energy: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, July 4 Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday that self-reliance in electricity is crucial for a self-reliant India and solar energy is playing a significant role in this.

The minister highlighted that in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Indian Oil Corp Ltd has expanded this strength of India by fully solarizing its over 36,000 retail outlets, where most operations are powered by solar energy.

This commendable effort not only saves on electricity bills but also makes an invaluable contribution to building a 'Green India,' the minister observed in a post on X social media platform.

He said, “New India is moving forward on the mantra of complementary aspects of Economy and Environment. Whether it's the roof of a home, an office, or a factory... if there’s even a little space, utilise solar energy. It is proving to be a major means of meeting energy needs.”

India's solar energy capacity has taken a massive leap in the last 11 years -- from a mere 2.82 GW in 2014 to an impressive 105.65 GW as of March 31 this year, according to official figures.

The total installed solar capacity of 105.65 GW comprises 81.01 GW from ground-mounted installations, 17.02 GW from rooftop solar, 2.87 GW from solar components of hybrid projects, and 4.74 GW from off-grid systems. The growth demonstrates continued uptake of solar energy across utility-scale and distributed categories.

The expansion in the installation of solar power generation capacity has been backed by a robust domestic production of solar cells and wafers which was almost non-existent in 2014. India has now built a strong foundation with 25GW of solar cell production and 2GW of wafer production.

Puri also highlighted that the number of Income Tax returns filed has increased from 3.6 crore in the financial year 2013-14 to 8.5 crore in the financial year 2024-25, with 95 per cent processed within 30 days. These figures reflect India's emerging financial culture. When taxation is managed honestly, it becomes a powerful medium of empowerment. This can be seen in the welfare schemes of the Modi government, he added.

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