India Hosts Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 for the First Time in the Global South

Key Highlights:

• India hosted the Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 for the first time in the Global South.
• Union Ministers Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Shri Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the conference.
• The initiative aims for farmers to become both 'Annadatas' (food providers) and 'Urjadatas' (energy providers).
• Policies must cater to India's small and marginal farmers, who constitute over 85% of the farming community.
• India's non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity capacity reached 308.03 GW, over 55% of the total.
• The next phase of PM-KUSUM will launch an ambitious agrivoltaic program.
• An estimated 47.5 million hectares (30% of India's cropland) are technically suitable for agrivoltaics.

Detailed Insights:

• Agrivoltaics integrates solar power generation with agricultural cultivation on the same land.
• Ministers emphasized practical system designs for panel height, spacing, and agricultural machinery movement.
• Focus was also placed on effective rainwater drainage, harvesting, and active involvement of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
• India's agricultural sector sustained a 4.5% growth rate, with exports reaching USD 52.55 billion.
• Field studies indicate potential yield improvements of 10-20% and water consumption reductions of 30% with agrivoltaics.
• There is potential to integrate agricultural infrastructure like mandis and cold chains with electricity-grid planning.
• PM-KUSUM has solarized approximately 25 lakh pump sets, benefiting farmers and reducing diesel consumption.
• Decentralized solar capacity reached 16.3 GW last year, including 8.7 GW under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
• The government aims to bridge the 25-30% cost gap for elevated agrivoltaic plants compared to conventional ground-mounted solar.
• The global agrivoltaics market surpassed 18.4 GW of installed capacity in 2025.
• Agrivoltaics could generate between 1.10 lakh and 3.32 lakh full-time-equivalent jobs.
• The Global Agrivoltaics Climate-Zone Technical Framework was launched to support wider adoption.
• International partnerships are crucial for developing solutions suited to the needs of the Global South.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agrivoltaics: The practice of co-locating solar panels and agricultural cultivation on the same land.
• Annadata and Urjadata: Terms referring to farmers as providers of food and energy, respectively.
• PM-KUSUM: A scheme promoting solar energy use in agriculture, including solar pumps and decentralized power plants.
• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: A scheme aimed at promoting rooftop solar installations for households.