Quick Facts
What JNNSM was
JNNSM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission) was India’s first comprehensive solar policy framework, launched in January 2010 as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The Mission was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, reflecting the strategic importance attached to solar as a national priority.
JNNSM established:
India’s first explicit solar targets.
Reverse auction tariff discovery mechanism.
Domestic Content Requirement provisions.
Subsidy framework for residential and commercial solar.
Manufacturing development initiative.
Multi-phase deployment programme.
The Mission has evolved over years into the broader National Solar Mission (NSM) with revised targets and expanded scope. Currently, NSM targets 280 GW solar within the 500 GW renewable target by 2030.
JNNSM is largely a historical term now. Current schemes (PM Surya Ghar, PM KUSUM) are sub-components of the evolved NSM framework. However, JNNSM is referenced in historical documents and remains foundational to understanding Indian solar policy development.
JNNSM origins
The mission was launched under specific policy context:
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008: India’s first comprehensive climate strategy. Identified solar as one of eight missions.
Initial targets ambitious for the time: 20 GW solar by 2022 when global solar capacity was about 50 GW.
Political backing: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government prioritised the launch as part of India’s climate response.
International context: Global financial crisis (2008-2009) was reshaping clean energy investments. India sought to position itself.
Energy security: Reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels was a goal.
JNNSM was both an environmental and an economic strategy. The early framework focused on utility-scale solar with manufacturing as a parallel objective.
JNNSM phases in detail
Phase I (2010-2013):
Target: 1.1 GW utility-scale solar deployment.
Tariffs: Discovered through reverse auctions. Initial tariffs Rs 12 to Rs 15 per kWh.
Domestic Content Requirement (DCR): Mandatory in many tenders.
Tendering: Through NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) bundled with thermal power.
Result: Established the framework. Initial scale modest but proof-of-concept successful.
Phase II (2013-2017):
Target: 10 GW additional solar.
Tariffs: Declining through competition. Reached Rs 5 to Rs 7 per kWh by end.
DCR: Modified after WTO ruling.
Rooftop component: Introduced.
Result: Mass deployment began. Industry matured. Tariffs became competitive with thermal.
Phase III (2017-2022):
Target: Originally 100 GW, revised to 175 GW.
Tariffs: Reached Rs 2.50 per kWh and below.
SECI tendering: Major mechanism for utility-scale.
Rooftop expansion: Significant.
PM KUSUM (2019): Agricultural component added.
Result: Massive scale achievement. India became global solar leader.
Beyond Phase III (2022-present):
Framework evolved into broader National Solar Mission.
500 GW renewable by 2030 target adopted.
PM Surya Ghar (2024) launched for residential.
PLI scheme for manufacturing.
Multiple parallel sub-programmes.
The phased approach allowed learning and refinement at each stage.
JNNSM’s tariff revolution
JNNSM introduced reverse auction tariff discovery to India:
Government announces a tender with capacity target.
Developers bid the lowest tariff at which they will build and operate.
Lowest-bid developer wins the contract.
Discovered tariff becomes the PPA tariff for 25 years.
The mechanism drove dramatic tariff reduction:
2010 (Phase I): Rs 12 to Rs 15 per kWh.
2015 (Phase II): Rs 5 to Rs 7 per kWh.
2020 (Phase III): Rs 2.50 to Rs 4 per kWh.
2024 (NSM): Rs 2.20 to Rs 2.70 per kWh.
The decline of about 80% in 14 years has been remarkable. Drivers:
Module cost reduction (China’s manufacturing scale).
Falling cost of capital.
Technology improvements (higher efficiency cells).
Competition (many developers bidding aggressively).
Scale economies (larger projects, optimised plants).
The tariff progression has been one of the most significant economic developments in Indian energy.
JNNSM and Indian manufacturing
JNNSM included manufacturing development objectives:
Phase I and II DCR provisions favoured Indian manufacturing.
WTO challenge in 2016 led to DCR restructuring.
Modified provisions still support manufacturing within WTO-compliant frameworks.
PLI scheme (2021) extended manufacturing support beyond DCR.
By 2026, Indian solar module manufacturing capacity exceeds 50 GW, supporting both domestic and export markets. The combination of JNNSM legacy support and modern PLI scheme has built this capacity.
JNNSM achievements
Major achievements over the Mission’s history:
Solar capacity from less than 100 MW (2010) to about 90-100 GW (2026).
Tariffs from Rs 12+ to Rs 2.50 per kWh.
Indian manufacturing capacity from less than 1 GW to over 50 GW.
Indian solar position as among the world’s largest deployers.
Tens of crores of rupees invested in solar.
Lakhs of jobs created.
Significant carbon emissions avoided.
Improved energy security.
These achievements have transformed India’s energy landscape.
JNNSM limitations and lessons
The Mission also faced challenges:
Initial target ambition vs achievement: 20 GW by 2022 was met with delay (about 2023).
DISCOM financial stress: Some state DISCOMs struggled with PPA payments.
Rooftop deployment slower than utility-scale.
Manufacturing development took longer than initially hoped.
Open-access rules varied by state, limiting some deployment.
Land acquisition challenges for utility-scale.
Lessons learned have been incorporated into evolved framework. PM Surya Ghar’s launch (2024) addresses some of the rooftop deployment lag.
JNNSM-to-NSM transition
The evolution from JNNSM to current NSM:
Targets expanded: 20 GW (initial JNNSM) to 280 GW (current NSM by 2030).
Scope broadened: Utility-scale focus extended to rooftop, agricultural, manufacturing.
Procurement mechanisms: From bundled with thermal to standalone SECI tenders.
Subsidy framework: Evolved from percentage-based to fixed-amount (PM Surya Ghar).
Implementation: From central-led to multi-level (central, state, DISCOM, SNA).
The transition reflects India’s solar sector maturation. Early JNNSM was ambitious and aspirational; current NSM operates at scale with refined mechanisms.
Common JNNSM mistakes
Treating JNNSM and NSM as different programmes. They are the same Mission at different evolutionary stages.
Citing outdated JNNSM provisions for current decisions. Current schemes (PM Surya Ghar, PM KUSUM, etc.) supersede JNNSM-era provisions.
Underestimating JNNSM’s foundational role. Modern Indian solar exists because of the Mission’s framework.
Forgetting historical context. JNNSM’s ambitious 2010 launch was visionary for its time.
Ignoring lessons learned. JNNSM’s experience informs current policy design.
Best practices
For policy researchers, understand JNNSM as the foundational framework for modern Indian solar.
For solar developers, current procurement is under evolved NSM rather than original JNNSM.
For investors, JNNSM history provides context for current policy trajectories.
For academic research, JNNSM documents are valuable primary sources for Indian solar policy evolution.
Standards and references
JNNSM documents are available through MNRE archives. Original launch documents from 2010 are reference material. Current scheme guidelines under NSM supersede JNNSM-era specifics. Academic literature on Indian solar policy extensively references JNNSM.
Related glossary terms
Key takeaways
JNNSM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission) was India’s first comprehensive solar policy framework, launched in January 2010. The original target of 20 GW solar by 2022 has evolved into the current National Solar Mission target of 280 GW solar within the 500 GW renewable target by 2030. JNNSM introduced reverse auction tariff discovery, which drove Indian solar tariffs from Rs 12+ to Rs 2.50 per kWh. The Mission’s framework has supported India’s solar capacity growth from less than 100 MW (2010) to about 90-100 GW (2026), making India a global solar leader. While the original JNNSM provisions have evolved, the Mission’s foundational role in Indian solar development is unchanged.