India’s solar energy research: performance and social network analysis

Purpose This study aims to measure the research landscape of the solar energy literature published in India during the years 1989–2022, indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The study examines the performance analysis and social network analysis of the literature. Design/methodology/approach The literature on solar energy published in India and indexed in the WoS between 1989 and 2022 was retrieved using a string of 13 related and synonymous terms as per the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme and Sears list of Subject Headings. Excluding all other document types, a total of 16,623 journal articles were retrieved. Quantitative and visualization techniques were applied to analyze the data. VOSViewer was used to map the collaborative patterns among different entities. Findings India has published 16,623 journal articles over 33 years, spanning from 1989 to 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 19.64 and a compound annual growth rate of 16.06. The Department of Science and Technology emerges as the prominent funding agency, while Indian Institute of Delhi (IIT Delhi) is the most productive institute. More than 125 countries collaborate with India in the field, with the USA being the topmost collaborator. Prof. Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi is the most prolific author, while Solar Energy published from the United Kingdom by Elsevier is the most preferred journal. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the WoS’s Core Collection database. Hence, the results cannot be generalized across other databases. Practical implications The results of the study will be of extreme importance to the Indian scientific community, policymakers and policy planners, as it may help them in the reorientation of future research directions and the judicious allocation of resources. Originality/value The study demonstrates the essentiality of the field by tracking the research progress in the field over time and the importance of collaboration. The study is a valuable tool for identifying trends and assessing the impact of the research.