The Farmer Who Has Always Fed the Nation is Now also Lighting it up, with the Annadata Becoming an Urjadata: Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi

Key Highlights:

• Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi announced a dedicated agrivoltaics component in the next phase of PM-KUSUM.
• This initiative aims to transform farmers into "Annadata" (food providers) and "Urjadata" (energy providers).
• Farmers can achieve three income streams: from crops, electricity sales to DISCOMs, and savings on diesel.
• India added 55.29 GW of non-fossil capacity last year, with 29 lakh pumps solarized under PM-KUSUM.
• The 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 will be held from October 21-23, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Detailed Insights:

• The agrivoltaics component under PM-KUSUM will prioritize small and marginal farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, cooperatives, and panchayats.
• Land ownership will remain with farmers, ensuring income security independent of monsoons and market prices.
• Agrivoltaics allows simultaneous crop cultivation below and clean energy generation above on the same land.
• Decentralized solar contributed 16.3 GW last year, including 8.7 GW from rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
• Research is crucial to optimize agrivoltaics for different crops, climates, and regions, with institutions like ICAR and Krishi Vigyan Kendras involved.
• India's experience offers affordable and practical solutions for the Global South, given its small farm holdings and abundant sunshine.
• The Agrivoltaics Pitch Hub, with National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) as knowledge partner, will seek innovative solutions under the Food, Fuel, and Fibre framework.
• India has also trained almost 70,000 Surya Mitras to build village-level skills in solar energy.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agrivoltaics: The practice of co-locating solar panels and agriculture on the same land, allowing for both crop production and electricity generation.
• PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan): A scheme to promote solar energy use in agriculture, including solar pumps and grid-connected solar power plants.
• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: A scheme providing financial assistance for installing rooftop solar systems in households.
• Annadata: A Sanskrit term meaning "food giver" or "provider of food," often used to refer to farmers.
• Urjadata: A term coined to mean "energy giver" or "provider of energy," highlighting the farmer's new role in energy production.