Rajkot, Jan. 12 -- India's strategic shift toward solar energy was driven by a long-term vision to reduce costs and enhance energy security, said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal.

Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference flagship programme on Solar Dividends in Rajkot, Gujarat, Goyal highlighted how market competition and technological scaling transformed solar power from a high-cost alternative into an economically viable energy source.

The Minister recalled that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, solar energy faced significant criticism due to high initial costs. Goyal noted that at that time, electricity was priced at Rs 16 per kilowatt hour.

He explained that ...