Re-elected to 18th Lok Sabha (Fifth Consecutive Term)
Appointed Union Cabinet Minister for:
- Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
- New & Renewable Energy
Ministerial Leadership Since 2024
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy
As Minister of New & Renewable Energy, Shri Joshi is leading India’s clean energy transformation and working towards:
- Achieving 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030
- Supporting India’s Net Zero target by 2070
- Expanding solar and wind energy capacity
- Promoting domestic manufacturing under Atmanirbhar Bharat
Major Initiatives
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
A flagship initiative launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi aimed at:
- Promoting rooftop solar installations
- Providing affordable electricity to households
- Reducing electricity bills for families
- Accelerating clean energy adoption across India
PM-KUSUM Scheme
Another major initiative being actively advanced under the leadership of Pralhad Joshi is the PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) Scheme, which aims to empower farmers through clean and sustainable energy solutions.
- Promoting the installation of solar-powered irrigation pumps for farmers
- Reducing dependence on diesel and conventional electricity for agriculture
- Helping farmers lower irrigation and electricity costs
- Enabling farmers to earn additional income by selling surplus solar power
- Encouraging decentralized renewable energy generation in rural areas
- Supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices
National Green Hydrogen Mission
- Promoting India as a global hub for Green Hydrogen production
- Supporting clean industrial and energy transition
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Shri Joshi has focused on:
- Strengthening food security mechanisms
- Improving transparency in public distribution systems
- Enhancing consumer protection frameworks
- Ensuring efficient delivery of food grains and welfare benefits to citizens
Key Achievements
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (2024-2026)
- India achieved a total non-fossil capacity addition of 3 GW during FY 2025-26.
- 6 GW of solar power capacity was added ○ Wind power saw a capacity addition of
- So far, a total of 46 GW of capacity from non-fossil fuel sources has been installed in the country as on 31.03.2026
- India's total power generation during 2025-26 (up to March 2026) reached 1,845.921 BU
- Following MNRE's recommendation, the GST rate on renewable energy devices and manufacturing parts was reduced from 12% to 5%, effective September 22, 2025.
- Basic Customs Duty (BCD) exemptions were extended to capital goods for lithium-ion cell manufacturing tailored for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), effective from February 2, 2026, to March 31, 2028.
- The Renewable Energy Equipment Import Monitoring System (REEIMS) portal was launched in October 2025 to track solar PV and wind generator component
- Launched a Pilot Scheme for a 500 MW Contract for Difference (CfD), a framework that guarantees stable revenues to developers while preserving market-based price
Solar Energy Milestones
- Solar-based generation hit 525 BU, reflecting a strong growth rate of 20.38%.
- India officially crossed the 150 GW milestone, hitting a cumulative installed solar capacity of 150.26 GW by March 31, 2026.
- FY 2025-26 alone saw the highest-ever annual solar capacity addition of 61 GW against a 34 GW target.
- The 26 GW total comprises 110.43 GW of utility-scale projects, 25.73 GW of rooftop solar and 14.10 GW of KUSUM and off-grid projects.
- Cumulative rooftop installations have benefited over 42 lakh households nationally, with PMSG alone touching 34.3 lakh (which includes a 22.7 lakh added just in FY 25-26).
- 67 GW addition from PM-KUSUM projects, nearly a 2x increase from 3.66 GW in FY 25.
- Out of 25 lakh total pumps solarized to date, 93 lakh were installed in FY 25-26 alone.
Domestic Manufacturing & Import Reductions
- Cumulative solar PV module manufacturing capacity skyrocketed to 172 GW (98 GW added in FY 2025-26 alone, up from 74 GW).
- Consequently, solar module imports dropped by about 3x, falling from USD 2,152 million down to USD 758 million (till January 2026).
- A national facility for primary standard solar cell testing and certification was successfully set up at CSIR-NPL, operating with the world’s highest accuracy.
Wind Energy Milestones
- Wind-based generation achieved 089 BU, representing a significant growth of 27.29%.
- India logged its highest-ever annual wind capacity addition of 05 GW in FY 2025-26, soaring past the FY 2016-17 landmark of 5.5 GW.
- This is a 46% increase over the 15 GW added in FY 2024-25, signaling a rapid acceleration in onshore deployment.
- Domestic wind turbine (Nacelle and Hub) manufacturing capacity increased from 18 GW to 24 GW.
Green Hydrogen Milestones
- Allocated 24 lakh tonnes per annum green ammonia and discovered prices as low as ₹49.75 per kilogram, which is also among the lowest in the world.
- A price of ₹279 per kilogram was discovered for supplying green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
- Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, 23 Research and Development projects were awarded, receiving a sanctioned fund of approximately ₹115
- Five additional projects for developing testing facilities across the value chain were awarded with sanctions of roughly ₹114 Crore.
- Green Ammonia prices have reached around ₹45.70/kg
- Over 50% of the ₹998 crore budget was released in FY 2025-26
- IREDA reported its highest-ever annual loan sanctions and disbursements in FY 2025-26. Loan sanctions rose to ₹51,883 crore (up 9% from ₹47,453 crore last year). Disbursements grew even faster by 16%, reaching ₹34,946 crore compared to ₹30,169 crore in FY 2024-25.
- Oversaw 274 Lok Sabha and 271 Rajya Sabha sittings
- Facilitated passage of 221 landmark Bills into law
- Key legislations included:
- Women’s Reservation Bill
- Abrogation of Article 370
- Triple Talaq legislation
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and related criminal law reforms
- Maintained high parliamentary productivity during COVID-19
- Played a key role in the inauguration of the new Parliament building (Sansad Bhavan) in 2023
- Advanced paperless legislatures through the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) initiative
- India crossed a historic 1 Billion Tonnes coal and lignite production milestone in FY 2023–24
- Introduced commercial coal mining reforms in 2020
- Completed 7 rounds of commercial coal mine auctions
- Generated estimated revenues of over ₹34,000 crore
- Boosted domestic coal production to reduce import dependency
- Announced ₹8,500 crore support for coal gasification projects
- Promoted sustainable mining with eco-parks and large-scale plantation drives
- Coal PSUs planned investments of nearly ₹2.5 lakh crore by 2030
- India’s Obvious Geological Potential and area under exploration has increased from
- Amendment to MMDR Act, 1957 in 2020 included major reforms like seamless transfer of all valid rights, approvals, etc. to new lessees to enable commencement of mining operations immediately after auction of mineral blocks, empowering State Govt. to auction mining lease before the expiry.
- MMDR Amendment Act, 2021 provided for immediate boost to mineral production and improving ease of doing business, removed distinction between captive and merchant mines, allowed captive mines to sell upto 50% of minerals produced during the year after meeting requirement of attached plant. All future auctions will be without any end use restrictions.
- Transformational policies have made around 500 mineral blocks available for auction.
- Landmark Bills like the MMDR Act, 2023 were introduced, which paved the way for introducing exploration licenses for deep-seated and critical minerals. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023, to boost offshore exploration was also introduced in Parliament last year.
Bioenergy
Parliamentary Affairs Ministry (2019–2024)
As Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi ensured the smooth functioning of Parliament during a transformative period, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Highlights
Coal Ministry Achievements (2019–2024)
Under Shri Joshi’s leadership, India’s coal sector witnessed major reforms focused on energy security and self-reliance.
Highlights
Mines Ministry Achievements (2019–2024)
5.71 Lakh Sq Km to 6.88 Lakh Sq. Km. The area under exploration is almost touching 2 Lakh Sq. Km out of 4.5 Lakh Sq. Km, thus achieving more than 30% exploration.