India is blessed with an abundance of sunlight, water and biomass. Vigorous efforts during the past two decades are now bearing fruit as people in all walks of life are more aware of the benefits of renewable energy, especially decentralized energy where required in villages and in urban or semi-urban centers. India has the world’s largest programme for renewable energy.
Government created the Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNES) in 1982. In 1992 a full fledged Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources was established under the overall charge of the Prime Minister.
The range of its activities cover
- Promotion of renewable energy technologies
- Create an environement conducive to promote renewable energy technologies
- Create an environment conducive for their commercialization
- Renewable energy resource assessment
- Research and development
- Demonstration
- Extension
- Production of biogas units, solar thermal devices, solar photovoltaics, cookstoves, wind energy and small hydropower units.