30% of India’s croplands technically suitable for solar agrovoltaics: Pralhad Joshi

An estimated 47.5 million hectares, or approximately 30%, of India’s 160 million hectares of cropland should be technically suitable for agrivoltaics—where solar panels are installed directly above existing farms, Union minister for new and renewable energy (MNRE) Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday at the inauguration of the 7th edition of the AgriVoltaics World Conference (AWC) 2026 in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam.

Joshi also said the new PM-Kusum 2.0 includes a dedicated agrivoltaics component, with immense potential to expand India’s solar capacity while substantially benefiting farmers.

“The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has estimated 47.5 million hectares, or approximately 30% of India’s 160 million hectares of cropland, is technically suitable for agrivoltaics. One deployment scenario covering 16 million hectares estimates annual electricity generation of 12,775 TWh, potentially comparable to or exceeding India’s projected electricity demand of 5,250–10,020 TWh by 2050,” said Joshi, stating one of the world’s most ambitious agrivoltaic programmes would be launched under the next phase of PM-Kusum.

“Elevated and tilted structures could make agrivoltaic plants 25–30% more expensive than conventional ground-mounted solar installations, and the government aims to bridge this cost gap by supporting AgriPV capacity creation,” the minister added.

The conference was inaugurated alongside the agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too, who said any AgriPV policy must be designed to meet the practical requirements of India’s small and marginal farmers, who constitute more than 85% of the farming community. Currently, coverage of ground-mounted solar panels is part of the existing PM Kusum scheme, which provides subsidies to farmers for both ground-mounted panels and solar pumps.

“The average landholding in the country is only 0.96 hectares. Thus, agrivoltaics models must allow farmers to continue cultivation instead of replacing farming with solar power generation,” Chouhan said.

The conference also saw the launch of a Decision-Making Tool developed by the India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA) – which allows farmers to assess the AgriPV potential of their land and the cost required for installation. An AgriPV policy handbook was also launched, which officials said should provide a base for further deliberations on the final policy. “The three-day conference will allow suggestions and further ideas to be incorporated into the final policy planned,” a senior official said.

The conference has brought together over 1200 delegates, including international experts, policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, innovators, start-ups and development partners.