India added 485 MW of rooftop solar capacity in the first quarter of 2023, nearly matching the 483 MW installed in Q4 2022. Cumulative installations reached 9.3 GW by March 31, 2023, according to Mercom India.

The residential segment accounted for 58% of the first quarter's capacity, while industrial and commercial consumers contributed 28% and 14%, respectively.

“After an up-and-down year in 2022, we are seeing steady growth in rooftop solar driven by solid fundamentals. Decreasing system costs and rising electricity rates make solar economics attractive, leading to accelerated growth in the coming quarters,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.

Mercom stated that first quarter installations were primarily driven by delayed projects that received exemptions from the Approved List of Models and Manufactures (ALMM) order issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in October 2022.

Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka led in rooftop solar capacity additions in the first quarter, accounting for almost 70% of the total. Gujarat remained the top state for rooftop solar, representing 24% of cumulative installations as of March 31, 2023, followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan.