India’s clean energy initiatives are a tremendous opportunity for all types of entrepreneurs, especially in the North-Eastern region of the country. In May 2025, India’s Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, informed investors that the region holds over 129 GW of hydropower and 18 GW of pumped storage potential, which he referred to as the “Ashtalakshmi” of green power. He emphasized that vast energy potential alongside growing energy markets make North-East India’s green growth hub.
Startups and industrial investors need to understand the government’s policy undertakings, planned initiatives, market shifts, and available business prospects. This short guide provides the details that need to be understood, along with inspiration from India’s foremost business leaders.
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Why the North-East is Important
Natural advantages and cross-border possibilities
The North-East is rich in renewable resources with the potential for hydro and wind energy, along with solar power. The region’s border with Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Bhutan is beneficial for cross-border electricity trades. With clean energy being globally in high demand and countries imposing carbon-border tariffs, exporting clean energy along with green power components is advantageous. Minister Joshi promised capital subsidies and single-window clearances, urging investors to “Look East.”
Policy support and investment commitments
Significant engagement with investors recently led to 115 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), which amount to ₹38,856 crores. These include projects such as solar parks, hydropower dams, pumped storage facilities, and green hydrogen facilities. In a bid to spur investment, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) reserves 10 % of its yearly scheme budget for the North Eastern Region. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, some projects are granted 10% higher Central Financial Assistance (CFA) and 20% extra for Components B and C of the PM-KUSUM scheme.
These subsidies reduce capital costs for solar-powered distributed generation and agricultural pump systems. The government has trained over 2000 individuals with programs such as Suryamitra, Varunmitra, and Jal Urjamitra, creating a local workforce for renewable energy projects.
The Solar Energy Projects
New projects showcase that the region is ready to scale. The Champhai district of Mizoram commissioned a 20 MW solar park, and Assam is developing a 25 MW green hydrogen plant. Both projects showcase the government’s support and is expected to accelerate the need for solar PV modules, inverters, mounting structures, electrolyzers, and other devices. The announcement of new projects will increase supply chain opportunities from civil construction to maintenance services.
Related: Floating Solar Farms: The Next Big Renewable Energy Breakthrough
Shifts in the market and export and import dynamics
India is well-connected with the rest of the world in the solar industry. In Q1 2025, sales of solar modules and cells soared to 267.6 million, with 267.6 million 26.11.3 billion worth of solar cells and modules, a decline of 35.1% from the previous year but an increase of 80.2% from the prior quarter. Of the imported products, 62.4% were modules and the rest were cells. Of these imports, China provided 78.1% followed by Vietnam and Hong Kong with 9.8% and 5.6% respectively.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Inflows and Rapid Capacity Growth
During FY 2023–24, India added 18.48 GW of renewable energy. As of November 2024, the country’s installed non-fossil capacity (including large hydro and nuclear) stood at 205.52 GW, which is 42% of India’s total power capacity. Furthermore, non-fossil fuel solar capacity installations increased from 2.5 GW in 2014 to 94.16 GW in November 2024. These figures show India is on track to achieve its goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030.
Between April 2020 and September 2024, the renewable energy sector attracted $19.98 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI). In addition to India’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2070, investors are benefiting from 100% FDI and policy stability.
Related: Renewable Energy Industry in India
Entrepreneurs’ Business Potential
Entrepreneurs can capitalize on the opportunities in the renewable sector. The domestic manufacturing of solar modules and solar cells is vital since India is still importing most of its high-efficiency modules. The government is offering incentives such as the PLI scheme and high CFAs in the North-East, which can spur local production. Start-up companies can construct integrated factories or focus on specialized advanced technologies such as bifacial or perovskite panels.
The emerging green hydrogen industry has exciting opportunities. Although Assam’s 25 megawatt hydrogen plant is just a pilot, the National Green Hydrogen Mission has much larger goals, expecting millions of tonnes of hydrogen output in the future. There’s plenty of hydrogen for the fertilizer, steel, and mobility sectors, and entrepreneurs can focus on manufacturing electrolysers, as well as fuel cells and storage systems.
Expansion opportunities also exist as countries like Japan and South Korea are looking to import green hydrogen. The region’s 18 GW potential for pumped storage and hydro creates a need for turbines, control systems, and civil works, as well as cross-border trade for mini-grids and solar kits for neighboring countries. There are also opportunities for battery and digital platform manufacturing and energy services training, as well as in hydrogen-powered trains.
Combining farming with solar panel installations through agrivoltaics can increase farmer income, while off-grid communities can be served with micro-grid systems and AI-powered energy management platforms.
Making the Most of a Feasibility Study
In the life sciences, transforming a basic concept into a fundable project demands undertaking a meticulous analysis. As one of the leading project consultancy services in India, NIIR Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) prepares Techno Market Survey cum Detailed Techno Economic Feasibility Reports (DPRs) to help entrepreneurs evaluate the feasibility and profitability of the project. The entrepreneurs are issued a detailed report including the detailed manufacturing processes of the goods, the market demand, process flow diagrams, capacity planning, along with the needed equipment and raw materials, and the full financial modelling, including capital costs, operating expenses, cash flows, and break-even analysis.
In addition, NPCS provides consultancy services on regulatory compliance, environmental clearances, and funding options. Such companies that provide these types of services usually lower the risk and help in the faster execution of the project.
Actionable Initiatives for Future Entrepreneurs
Recognizing an opportunity is the first step; launching a new venture is a careful undertaking. A would-be founder needs to conduct detailed market research to identify gaps such as high-efficiency solar modules, modular electrolyzers, micro-grid controllers, or digital analytics. They need to map every product or service to available incentives such as Central Financial Assistance, Production Linked Incentives, concessional financing, and tax breaks. Develop early-stage relationships with technology partners, EPC contractors, local governments, and banking institutions to secure supply chains and funding.
Access to the pool of 2,000 trained technicians will expedite the learning curve; supplement local talent with advanced training to gain a competitive edge. Last, foster local stakeholder engagement to ensure beyond local buy-in to ensure environmental compliance and develop projects with social and financial returns. A combination of these actionable steps and professional feasibility assessments will turn great ideas into successful, scalable ventures.
Lessons from India’s Business Tycoons
India’s leading business tycoons illustrate how modest beginnings can grow into global empires. Dhirubhai Ambani, who once sold snacks to pilgrims, diversified into telecommunications, power, IT, consumer goods and logistics, turning Reliance Industries into India’s largest private company. J.R.D. Tata pioneered commercial aviation through Tata Airlines and expanded the Tata group across almost a hundred businesses, showing that early entry into new sectors and professional management can build enduring conglomerates. Narayana Murthy and Shiv Nadar founded Infosys and HCL, respectively, with minimal capital; both bet on emerging technologies and ethical corporate cultures to create multi‑billion‑dollar enterprises.
Lakshmi Mittal and G.D. Birla demonstrate the power of consolidating fragmented industries and diversifying across sectors, while Dilip Shanghvi built Sun Pharma into India’s largest pharmaceutical company through strategic acquisitions and quality focus. Azim Premji pivoted Wipro from consumer goods to IT and exemplifies philanthropic leadership.
Finally, Falguni Nayar left investment banking to create Nykaa; the e‑commerce platform’s 2021 IPO valued the company at $13 billion and showcased the rise of women entrepreneurs in India. Across these stories, the common themes are diversification, technological foresight, ethical governance and reinvesting profits—lessons that clean‑energy start‑ups can emulate.
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Conclusion
The North‑East’s emergence as India’s renewable powerhouse offers a unique combination of natural resources, policy incentives, and market opportunities. With hydropower, pumped storage, solar parks, and green hydrogen projects already underway, entrepreneurs have a road map for investment. Meanwhile, national trends—rapid capacity addition, strong FDI inflows, and supportive trade policies—provide a stable backdrop. Import–export dynamics reveal both a growing international appetite for Indian solar products and the need to build domestic manufacturing.
By seizing these opportunities, drawing inspiration from India’s iconic entrepreneurs and leveraging expert feasibility studies, new businesses can play a pivotal role in achieving India’s vision of a green and self‑reliant future.