Solar Project Marketplace in Karnataka

Karnataka solar policy at a glance (2026)

Karnataka is India's leading state for IT industry electricity consumption and has been proactive in enabling renewable energy transition at the commercial and industrial scale:

• Open access threshold: 1 MW for standard OA; 100 kW for Green Energy Open Access (KERC adopted Green OA rules in 2023)
• BESCOM tariff (HT-2 industrial): ₹7.50–₹9.00/unit in FY2025-26; BESCOM serves Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Tumkur, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, and Davanagere districts
• CSS: ₹1.20–₹1.80/unit — significantly lower than Maharashtra, making Karnataka intra-state OA commercially attractive even before Group Captive structuring
• Karnataka Solar Policy 2021: Sets targets of 10 GW solar by 2026, with specific provisions for C&I open access and rooftop solar for industrial consumers
• RE100 / ESG uptake: Karnataka's IT sector is one of the most active in India for RE100 corporate renewable commitments (Google, Microsoft, Infosys, Wipro, TCS all have Karnataka RE100 targets) — driving premium demand for verified solar supply
• Banking: Annual banking at 10% banking charge; more restrictive than Gujarat/Rajasthan but manageable for IT consumers with consistent load profiles

For Karnataka buyers, the relatively low CSS (compared to Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu) means that intra-state OA from the Pavagada / Bellary belt delivers highly competitive all-in costs of ₹4.80–₹5.80/unit — a ₹2–₹3.50/unit saving on BESCOM industrial tariffs.

Project types available in Karnataka

Why investors choose Karnataka

• Strong offtaker credit: BESCOM-zone IT companies are typically large, listed, or MNC-backed — reducing offtaker credit risk for investors compared to SME-heavy states
• Longer PPA terms: IT industry sustainability commitments create appetite for 20–25 year PPAs, which extend investor yield horizon and reduce refinancing risk
• Solar resource: Pavagada (Tumkur district) is India's largest solar park at 2 GWp and demonstrates the quality of Karnataka's solar resource — typically 5.2–5.8 kWh/m²/day
• KERC regulatory track record: KERC is among India's more consistent state regulators, with tariff orders issued on a regular cycle and limited history of retrospective policy changes affecting OA investors

For Karnataka open access regulatory detail, see the Karnataka Open Access Guide. For Bengaluru IT sector-specific guidance, see Open Access Solar for IT Companies in Bengaluru.