Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, that Maharashtra has installed 60 per cent of all solar agricultural pumps deployed across India, and that the Central Government has written to all states advising them to replicate the 'Maharashtra Model' for solar pump adoption. The announcement was made on the floor of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) in Mumbai during the ongoing Monsoon Session 2026.

Context

Speaking in the upper house, Fadnavis cited the figure to underscore the state's outsized contribution to India's renewable energy push in agriculture. In his post on X, he wrote in both English and Marathi: 'देशातील एकूण सौर कृषी पंपांपैकी 60 टक्के पंप महाराष्ट्रात बसविण्यात आले आहेत' — 'Of the total solar agricultural pumps in the country, 60 per cent have been installed in Maharashtra.' He added that the Centre has formally communicated to all states, urging them to follow the 'Maharashtra Model.'

The statement came during a session focused on agricultural and infrastructure policy, signalling that solar pump deployment has become a flagship metric for the ruling dispensation in the state.

Policy Backdrop

The Central Government's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme, launched in 2019, provides subsidies to farmers for installing off-grid solar pumps, aiming to reduce dependence on diesel and subsidised grid electricity. Maharashtra had already laid groundwork with its own state solar policy introduced in 2015, which included dedicated components for agricultural solar pumps, giving it a head start over most other states.

India's broader National Solar Mission has consistently prioritised decentralised solar energy for agriculture as a tool to reduce the fiscal burden of power subsidies and cut farm-sector carbon emissions. Maharashtra's early institutional readiness — combining state policy, farmer outreach, and tender pipelines — is widely cited in official reviews as a reason for its high installation numbers.

Stakeholders and Impact

Farmers across Maharashtra are the primary beneficiaries, gaining reliable daytime irrigation power independent of erratic grid supply and costly diesel. The shift also eases the financial strain on state electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), which have historically provided heavily subsidised or free power to the agricultural sector.

If other states act on the Centre's advisory and adopt elements of the Maharashtra framework — including its procurement, subsidy-disbursement, and farmer-onboarding mechanisms — the national solar pump count could scale significantly in the 2026-27 budget cycle. Agriculture departments in states with large irrigation deficits stand to gain the most from replicating the model.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether the Central Government's advisory letter translates into accelerated state-level budget allocations and fresh tender issuances for solar pumps before the close of the financial year. Progress under PM-KUSUM is expected to be reviewed during the winter session of Parliament, where Maharashtra's numbers may be held up as a national benchmark.

For CM Fadnavis, the announcement reinforces a broader infrastructure-and-energy narrative ahead of potential state-level electoral cycles, positioning Maharashtra as a model for policy execution that the Centre itself endorses.