The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched in 2009 to create policy conditions to make solar power as affordable as conventional power by 2022, and establish India as global leader in solar energy. The Mission creates a secure investment structure designed to encourage large-scale investment, technical innovation and rapid cost reductions in solar energy technologies within India. The Mission also aims to foster inclusive growth by empowering the most disadvantaged and remote communities to service their own energy needs using offgrid applications. Early results show major successes in reducing solar tariffs, but suggest the need for improved initiatives to ensure long-term project sustainability, meet the needs of energy-poor people, attract international financing, and address potential environmental impacts of solar power.