National Forum on Solarization of Agriculture Organised at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi

21 April 2026, New Delhi

A National Forum on Solarization of Agriculture, aimed at bringing together efforts of NARES and CGIAR, was successfully organised by the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The event, held at ICAR-IARI, was conducted in a hybrid mode and witnessed participation from researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the country.

In his address, Dr Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-IARI, emphasized the need for a collective action plan to scale up solarisation in agriculture. He identified key priority areas including irrigation, farm operations, and agrivoltaics.

Highlighting the importance of innovation, he stated the potential of rooftops and farm structures as energy-generating assets and described solarisation as a critical area for research. He also stressed the importance of targeted crop approaches, improving dust removal efficiency of solar panels, and enhancing adoption among smallholder farmers. Furthermore, he underlined the need to harness green energy for national development and to increase per capita energy availability.

Dr Alok Sikka, Emeritus Scientist, IWMI and Former Deputy Director General (NRM), ICAR, highlighted that solarisation of agriculture in India has already reached an advanced stage through large-scale initiatives. He emphasized the importance of conserving groundwater resources through effective energy management, noting that solarisation enables systems where surplus energy can be sustainably fed back. He also called for integrating solar energy within the broader framework of food, water, energy, and climate systems to address food security and land-use challenges.

Welcoming the participants, Dr P. S. Brahmanand, Project Director and Principal Scientist, Water Technology Centre (WTC), ICAR-IARI, underscored the importance of collaborative and technology-driven approaches in advancing solarisation in agriculture.

Dr Gopal Kumar, Interim Country Representative, IWMI India and Bangladesh, highlighted the role of solarisation in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat and net-zero emissions. He pointed to the evolving role of farmers from energy consumers to producers and potential energy sellers, emphasizing that meaningful impact will be realized when this transformation takes place at the farm level. He further noted that farm-level solar energy is poised to become a key driver of sustainable agricultural growth.

The forum also featured technical presentations by scientists on agrivoltaics, solarisation pathways, the irrigation-energy nexus, and emerging innovations in solar-powered agriculture. The event served as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration, and strengthening partnerships aimed at advancing solarisation of Indian agriculture in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi)