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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Calls on States to Fast-Track Identification of Water Bodies for Floating Solar Projects

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has asked States and Union Territories to intensify efforts toward scaling up floating solar installations by identifying and prioritising suitable water bodies for development. The Ministry has also requested detailed feedback on the draft Floating Solar PV (FSPV) Potential Assessment Report and the proposed floating solar policy framework.

The direction was issued during a stakeholder consultation workshop held on February 20, 2026, chaired by MNRE Joint Secretary J.V.N. Subramanyam. The draft assessment and policy documents were prepared by the National Institute of Solar Energy and Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, with the objective of addressing land availability constraints and promoting floating solar as an alternative deployment pathway.

MNRE urged States and UTs to coordinate with key departments—including water resources, irrigation, revenue, fisheries, forests, agriculture, distribution companies, public works, tourism, and pollution control boards—to evaluate site suitability and identify potential implementation hurdles. The consolidated inputs from these consultations are expected to help refine a robust national policy framework for floating solar expansion.

The Ministry highlighted that, despite significant theoretical potential, India has commissioned only about 700 MW of floating solar capacity to date. The relatively modest progress has been attributed to limited site-specific data and the absence of streamlined execution mechanisms. To bridge these gaps, MNRE, in collaboration with NISE and IIT Roorkee, developed the draft assessment and policy proposals.

Discussions during the workshop explored solutions such as plug-and-play models and the allocation of water bodies with pre-cleared approvals to reduce risk and improve investor confidence.

States and UTs have been encouraged to systematically map and prioritise reservoirs, lakes, and other viable water bodies to facilitate structured and region-wise capacity addition. MNRE further indicated that it will undertake detailed consultations with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the National Wetlands Authority, and the National Dam Safety Authority before finalising the floating solar policy framework based on stakeholder feedback.