Ahmedabad Roadshow

Ahmedabad brings Gujarat’s first-mover energy story into Bharat RE Summit 2026’s national outreach

Some energy transitions begin with targets. Others begin with the willingness to move before the economics become obvious.

That was the larger story as the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 roadshow reached Ahmedabad on September 3, its fourth stop after Jaipur, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Gujarat’s proposition was not simply about the renewable capacity it has built. It was about how early policy decisions created an ecosystem that now stretches from solar and wind to rooftop systems, manufacturing, green hydrogen, storage and offshore wind.

Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri Shripad Yesso Naik captured that distinction while highlighting Gujarat’s target of 105 GW of renewable-energy capacity by 2030. With around 52 GW already installed, he said, the bigger story was the state’s mindset: ‘Where others saw constraints, Gujarat saw possibilities.’ Desert landscapes became solar parks, wind became an industrial opportunity, and Gujarat is now moving into the next generation of clean-energy technologies.

That first-mover instinct has a history.

Shri Ashwani Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy & Petrochemicals Department, Government of Gujarat, recalled the decision to develop the Charanka Solar Park at a time when solar power cost ₹15 - 16 per unit. What appeared a difficult bet then became an early demonstration of what sustained policy conviction could achieve. Today, Gujarat ranks first in installed wind capacity and second in solar, contributing nearly 18% of India’s renewable-energy capacity.

The story now extends well beyond large projects. Gujarat has more than 13.45 lakh rooftop solar installations, representing over 7.4 GW of capacity. The renewable-energy sector is estimated to have created around 2.37 lakh direct and indirect jobs, linking the transition increasingly with industrialisation, entrepreneurship and employment.

State Energy and Petrochemicals Minister Shri Rushikesh Patel placed that expansion within a wider responsibility. Renewable energy, he argued, is tied not only to development but also to the environmental legacy being passed to future generations. With the consequences of rising temperatures already visible, he called for wider participation and faster action; asking whether established ambitions could be achieved ahead of schedule.

The Ahmedabad conversation also looked beyond what has already been built.

Shri Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission, noted that India has added more than 100 GW of renewable-energy capacity in just two years since RE-INVEST 2024. That pace, he said, changes the purpose of BRE Summit 2026: from principally an investment platform to one capable of shaping India’s next two decades of clean-energy growth through policy, innovation and global collaboration.

Shri Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, CEO, National Solar Energy Federation of India, reinforced the acceleration of India’s solar story, now above 160 GW, with successive 50 GW milestones arriving faster, rooftop solar expanding under PM Surya Ghar, agricultural solarisation reaching more than two million farmers, and commercial and industrial renewable consumption crossing 10 GW last year.

International Solar Alliance Director General Shri Ashish Khanna added the global dimension. He identified opportunities in scaling Indian manufacturing for global markets, developing competitive solar and storage solutions, and creating local-currency financing models that can accelerate deployment across emerging economies. Gujarat, he noted, sits at the heart of India’s journey from domestic renewable-energy achievement towards global clean-energy solutions.

That is where Ahmedabad’s place in the roadshow journey becomes distinct.

Jaipur demonstrated resource scale. Mumbai brought capital into focus. Hyderabad showcased an integrated southern clean-energy ecosystem. Ahmedabad has added the power of first-mover advantage: how early vision can mature into capacity, manufacturing, jobs, technology and the next wave of innovation.

The larger convergence takes place from November 2 – 5, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where BRE Summit & Expo 2026 will bring these conversations together.

For Gujarat, the proposition is no longer simply to lead India’s renewable-energy growth, but to show how leadership can keep reinventing itself.