Decentralised RE Across Farms, Rooftops and Rural Enterprises to Drive India’s 500 GW Non-Fossil Target: Union Minister Joshi

Pralhad Joshi yesterday highlighted the growing role of renewable energy in strengthening India’s rural economy and enhancing farmers’ incomes while addressing the 4th National Agro-RE Summit in New Delhi.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Joshi said renewable energy is increasingly reaching India’s farms and households, helping farmers access reliable power while reducing irrigation costs and improving farm productivity. “ A farmer irrigating his field today may be doing so using solar power, and a household that once worried about electricity bills may now be producing its own electricity through rooftop solar. This is not just an energy transition,  it is also a transformation of the rural economy,” the Minister said.

Solar pumps reducing irrigation costs

Shri Joshi emphasised that renewable energy technologies are playing an increasingly important role in agriculture, particularly through solar irrigation pumps, which enable farmers to reduce dependence on diesel and access reliable daytime irrigation. Diesel irrigation can cost nearly ₹6,790 per acre for wheat and over ₹8,000 per acre for crops such as cotton. Solar pumps can help farmers save between ₹5,000 and ₹6,500 per acre annually, while also reducing emissions.

Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, more than 10 lakh standalone solar agricultural pumps have been installed, and over 13 lakh grid-connected agricultural pumps have been solarised across the country. The Minister noted that these initiatives are enabling farmers to become “Urjadaata” (energy providers) in addition to being “Annadata” (food providers).

PM-KUSUM 2.0 to promote Agri-PV deployment

The Minister informed that the Government is preparing PM-KUSUM 2.0, which will include a dedicated 10 GW Agri-PV component to promote the co-location of solar panels with crops. This initiative will enable farmers to generate electricity while continuing agricultural activities on the same land, creating a new model for decentralised renewable energy generation in rural India.