New Delhi, July 13 (IANS). Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Monday announced that 104 airports in India are now operating on 100 percent renewable energy. This achievement is considered an important step towards making the aviation infrastructure in the country more sustainable and environment-friendly.
Sharing the information on social media platform X, the Union Minister said that this achievement reflects the commitment of the government towards clean energy and sustainable development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India’s 104 airports are now operating on 100 per cent renewable energy, compared to zero in 2014,” he said.
The minister further said, “The new India is not just talking but is rapidly moving forward on the goal of sustainable development and making steady progress towards the ‘Net Zero’ target by the year 2070 set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
This achievement means that these 104 airports are meeting their entire operational power requirement from renewable energy sources. This includes electricity generated from solar power plants installed on the airport premises as well as renewable energy such as hydropower, which is purchased under long-term agreements.
India’s airport sector has seen steady growth in the adoption of clean energy over the past few years.
In June 2022, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport became the first airport in the country to meet its entire electricity requirement through a combination of solar energy and hydropower.
According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), about 6 per cent of the airport’s power comes from its own solar power plants, while the remaining 94 per cent is procured under long-term hydropower purchase agreements.
This initiative is expected to reduce about 2 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
At the same time, Cochin International Airport became the first airport in the world to operate entirely on solar energy in the year 2015. After this, the airport continuously expanded its solar power generation capacity and also won international praise in the field of environmental protection.
This latest achievement comes after the Civil Aviation Ministry’s June 2026 announcement that more than 88 Indian airports already operate on 100 percent green energy.
The government aims to make all airports in the country net-zero emissions by 2030, to make India’s aviation sector completely eco-friendly.
–IANS
DBP