National Solar Mission generated 252.5 MW against the target of 1100 MW in 2010-13.

Three years after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced an ambitious plan to generate 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, the programme is yet to take off in a meaningful way and remains far behind target.

Marred with delays, trade disputes and competition from state-level schemes, the central programme could so far contribute just one-third to the India's total solar capacity. 'The programme is losing on time and offering small capacities.

There is no long-term visibility on the central plan,' said Sunil Jain, managing director at Hero Future Energies, a renewable energy firm of Hero Group. The first phase of the solar mission from 2010-2013 added just 252.5 MW of solar power generation capacity against the targeted 1100 MW.


ET