SJVN Adds 1,000 MW to India's Solar Capacity as PM Modi Inaugurates Bikaner Mega Project
Shimla, July 4: India's renewable energy push received a major boost on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating SJVN's 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project in Rajasthan, adding one of the country's largest domestically built solar projects to the national grid.
The project, inaugurated from Pachpadra in Rajasthan, has been developed by SJVN Limited through its renewable energy arm, SJVN Green Energy Limited, at an investment of about ₹5,492 crore.
Spread over nearly 5,000 acres in Bikaner, it is India's largest single-location EPC solar project under the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category.
The commissioning marks a significant addition to SJVN's renewable energy portfolio and strengthens India's transition towards clean and sustainable energy. With the project now operational, SJVN's total installed power generation capacity has reached 4,196.5 MW.
The solar park is expected to generate around 2,454.84 million units of electricity in its first year and about 56,482.14 million units over its 25-year operational life.
The electricity will be supplied to Rajasthan (500 MW), Uttarakhand (200 MW) and Jammu & Kashmir (300 MW), helping improve long-term clean energy availability in these states.
The project is also expected to deliver significant environmental gains by preventing nearly 2.79 billion kilograms of carbon emissions during its lifetime, contributing to India's climate commitments.
A major feature of the project is its reliance on indigenous manufacturing. Nearly 24.22 lakh domestically manufactured DCR solar modules and around 175 crore Indian-made solar cells have been used, giving a boost to the Centre's Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives while strengthening the domestic renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem.
Besides generating clean power, the project has created more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and commissioning. It has also led to the development of supporting infrastructure, including roads and transmission facilities, contributing to the socio-economic growth of the Bikaner region.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other dignitaries, while SJVN Chairman and Managing Director Bhupender Gupta and senior company officials joined virtually.
SJVN, a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Power, also operates two transmission lines spanning 123 kilometres.
The commissioning of the Bikaner project reinforces the company's growing role in expanding India's renewable energy capacity and supporting the country's vision of an energy-secure and low-carbon future.
