Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, shared an article authored by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan that underscored the transformative potential of agrivoltaics — the practice of generating solar power on agricultural land while continuing cultivation — to diversify and strengthen farmers' incomes across India.

In a post on social media platform X, Modi described the technology as 'an important avenue for advancing rural prosperity,' highlighting its capacity to provide farmers with an additional revenue stream, reduce energy costs, and support crop productivity.

India Hosts AgriVoltaics World Conference 2026

The Prime Minister's endorsement comes as New Delhi prepares to host the seventh AgriVoltaics World Conference from 21 to 23 October 2026 under the theme 'Powering the Global South'. The event positions India as a leading voice in the global clean-energy-agriculture nexus and draws participants from across the developing world.

What Agrivoltaics Offers Indian Farmers

In their article, Ministers Joshi and Chouhan laid out the core value proposition of agrivoltaics, also referred to as AgriPV: farmers can generate clean electricity while continuing to cultivate the same land, helping diversify incomes and build resilience against agricultural uncertainties.

The ministers noted that nearly 86 per cent of India's farmers are small and marginal landholders — a demographic particularly vulnerable to income shocks — and argued that agrivoltaics could allow them to benefit simultaneously from agricultural production and the clean-energy transition.

According to the ministers, the model can generate additional income from electricity sales, reduce dependence on diesel and purchased power, and create favourable microclimatic conditions that shield crops from heat stress, drought, excessive solar radiation, and hail — concerns that have grown more acute with erratic monsoons and rising temperatures.

Government Plans Under PM-KUSUM Scheme

The Centre is reportedly planning additional measures under the next phase of the PM-KUSUM scheme to accelerate solar power generation through a dedicated space for agrivoltaics, building on progress already made in solarising agricultural irrigation. The scheme has previously focused on solar pumps and grid-connected power for farmers; the agrivoltaics push would mark a significant expansion of its scope.

Wider adoption, the ministers said, could also stimulate rural employment through installation, maintenance, and agricultural services linked to solar infrastructure — adding a jobs dimension to what is primarily positioned as an income-diversification initiative.

Conditions for Successful Deployment

The ministers stressed that successful deployment of agrivoltaics would require careful crop selection, adequate irrigation and nutrient management, and system designs that preserve sufficient sunlight for cultivation. They also flagged the need for coordination among agriculture and energy departments, state governments, research institutions, and local bodies — an acknowledgement of the multi-stakeholder complexity that has historically slowed large-scale agricultural technology adoption in India.

This comes amid growing global interest in dual-use land models, with countries including Germany, Japan, and France already running commercial-scale agrivoltaic installations. India's push, if executed at scale, could be among the largest in the Global South. As the three-day conference gets under way in New Delhi, all eyes will be on whether the government translates its stated ambition into the policy specifics — land-use norms, tariff structures, and financing — that farmers and developers need to act.