• The 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference (AWC) 2026, hosted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), was held in New Delhi from October 21 to 23.
• New Delhi’s call to action was to bring agrivoltaics into the field through sound science, viable financing and sustained cooperation with farmers. 
Scope of generating solar electricity in farm fields
• Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy, serving as a key source of livelihood for approximately 46.1 per cent of the population. 
• Sustaining this vital sector requires reliable and affordable energy for irrigation and other farming operations. 
• Solar power can help meet these everyday needs while advancing India’s clean energy transition.
• According to Land Use Statistics for 2023-24, the country’s reported area covers 306.96 million hectares, of which approximately 55 per cent is agricultural land. 
• The net sown area stands at 138.99 million hectares, while the gross cropped area covers 217.88 million hectares. 
• This extensive land base offers opportunities to generate solar electricity alongside agricultural production. 
• Farmers can use solar power to operate irrigation pumps, reduce dependence on conventional electricity and potentially supplementary revenue by supplying surplus electricity to the grid. 
• For instance, solar-powered irrigation pumps can provide daytime power for watering crops while reducing reliance on diesel-powered alternatives.
What is agrivoltaics?
• Agrivoltaics brings together crop cultivation and solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation on the same land. 
• Agrivoltaics, also known as agrisolar or dual-use solar, maximises land-use efficiency, provides shade for crops and creates additional benefits for farmers.
• Solar panels installed above or between crop rows allow electricity generation alongside continued farming. 
• Depending on the crop, panel design and local conditions, partial shading may also help reduce soil moisture loss. 
• This approach can improve land-use efficiency, diversify farm earnings and strengthen both food and energy security. 
Agrivoltaics development in India
• Through research, field demonstrations and policy development, India is exploring ways to adapt agrivoltaics to diverse agricultural conditions. 
• It offers a promising pathway to align farmers’ livelihoods with India’s wider renewable energy ambitions.
• As of August 2025, India had 36 operational agrivoltaics projects with an installed capacity of 37.54 megawatts, alongside 10 pilot projects under development. 
• These projects span diverse agroclimatic regions and include elevated structures, interspace layouts and tracking systems, reflecting India’s evolving approach to integrating solar power generation with agricultural production.
• India holds significant potential for agrivoltaics. 
• Estimates place the country’s agrivoltaic potential between 3,000 GW and nearly 14,000 GW, highlighting the scale of opportunity at the intersection of agriculture and renewable energy. 
• Agrivoltaic systems can also create profits diversification for farmers. In some cases, annual earnings could rise from around Rs 60,000 per acre to over Rs 1 lakh per acre.
Govt initiatives in agrivoltaics development
• The government of India has undertaken a range of policy, research, technology development, and implementation measures to advance agrivoltaics adoption and expansion across the country.
1) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM): Launched in February 2019, the scheme encourages solar energy adoption in agriculture, reduces dependence on diesel and creates opportunities for farmers to diversify their earnings. It envisages central financial assistance of approximately Rs 34,422 crore. It also enables decentralised solar power generation and solarisation of agricultural pumps, creating avenues of development for solar energy integration with farming.
2) Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Agrivoltaics: The National Institute of Solar Energy, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute, has established a CoE for agrivoltaics research, demonstration and capacity building. It has undertaken pilot projects, including a 100-kilowatt agrivoltaic system at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
3) India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA): Anchored by the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), it is a multi-stakeholder platform advancing the dual use of land for solar energy generation and agriculture. Launched in 2023, the Alliance has grown to over 40 members and works with government ministries and industry stakeholders to advance agrivoltaics through policy advocacy, research and on-the-ground implementation. 

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