The International Solar Alliance, or ISA, is set to replicate India’s landmark solar pump initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan, or PM-Kusum scheme, across various developing nations.
The primary targets for this transfer of technology and policy framework are countries in Africa and small island states, where agricultural and energy connectivity challenges persist. The move was announced ahead of the ISA’s eighth General Assembly.
The ₹34,000-crore PM-Kusum program aims to strengthen agricultural solar infrastructure in India through solarisation of grid-connected pumps, installation of new solar pumps, and setting up decentralized solar power plants on farmer-owned land.
Bridging the global irrigation gap:
ISA’s focus on replicating PM-Kusum stems from the urgent need to address poor irrigation access and energy insecurity in partner countries, particularly in Africa.
Thought leadership:
Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and President of the ISA Assembly, said, “We are looking to showcase both the PM-Kusum and the PM Surya Ghar… programs in countries which have problems with connectivity. We are doing this in Africa and island countries through the ISA platform.”
Ashish Khanna, Director General, ISA, said, “The total percentage of arable land that is irrigated in Africa is just four percent… Africa today imports food worth $400 billion even though it has huge arable land — because of absence of irrigation. So, all heads of state are looking for a solar pump story like PM-Kusum.” He said that the initiative is geared towards reinforcing India’s role in distributed renewable energy.
Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), said, “Overall, we are now the third largest renewable energy installation in the world. Additionally, in manufacturing of solar modules, we are the second largest after China.” He also noted that India’s manufacturing prowess extends to green hydrogen, with a goal of producing about five million tons by 2031.
It must be noted that the push to export the solar models comes as India strengthens its position as a global leader in clean energy capacity and manufacturing.
