“Farmers Will Now Power the Nation”: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Highlights Agrivoltaics Vision Ahead of 7th World Conference

NEW DELHI :  Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Shri Pralhad Joshi announced that Indian farmers are set to transition into clean energy producers through agrivoltaics, unlocking dual revenue streams from agriculture and solar power generation on the same land. Speaking at the curtain-raiser for the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference in New Delhi, the Minister revealed that the next phase of PM-KUSUM will feature a dedicated agrivoltaics component tailored specifically for small and marginal farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and panchayats. He emphasized that combining crop cultivation with solar energy will provide financial security against erratic weather and market fluctuations, enabling up to three distinct income avenues per acre while lowering reliance on diesel pumps. India’s non-fossil fuel capacity addition reached 55.29 GW last year, with PM-KUSUM solarizing nearly 29 lakh agricultural pumps and contributing significantly to the nation’s 16.3 GW decentralized solar expansion. The 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference, themed ‘Fueling Farm to Fork Innovations’ and supported by NSEFI, will take place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from October 21 to 23, 2026, showcasing scalable, cost-effective models for the Global South.