Harnessing green power: A comprehensive analysis of India's renewable energy growth and future outlook

India has emerged as one of the global frontrunners in renewable energy (RE) deployment, driven by ambitious national targets, progressive policies, and rapid technological adoption. This study presents a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of India’s RE transition between 2010 and 2025, integrating secondary datasets from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Central Electricity Authority, International Energy Agency, and National Institution for Transforming India Aayog. Using compound annual growth rate (CAGR), correlation, and trend analysis, the study evaluates the performance and inter-sectoral dynamics of solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy segments. The findings reveal that India’s total installed renewable capacity increased from 17 GW in 2010–190 GW in 2025, with solar energy exhibiting the highest growth (CAGR ≈ 24.8%), followed by wind (≈ 10.3%). Regression analysis indicates a strong positive correlation (r = 0.91) between gross domestic product growth and renewable capacity expansion, emphasizing the sector’s economic significance. A novel contribution of this research lies in its multi-dimensional analytical framework, combining policy mapping, financial trends, and comparative benchmarking against Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa nations to identify structural bottlenecks and feasible interventions. Key challenges such as grid integration, financing constraints, and intermittency are prioritized through a risk–impact matrix, while opportunities in green hydrogen, artificial intelligence/internet of things integration, offshore wind, and export potential are evaluated using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats-based market feasibility model. The study concludes that achieving India’s 500 GW non-fossil target by 2030 requires annual investments exceeding USD 25–30 billion, regulatory harmonization, and digital optimization of energy systems. By synthesizing quantitative insights with policy analysis, this paper bridges the gap between descriptive reviews and empirical assessments, offering actionable guidance for policymakers, investors, and researchers engaged in India’s RE transition.