New Delhi, Feb14 : At India Energy Week 2025, industry experts highlighted the transformative potential of scaling solar-based technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce operational costs, and promote food and energy security. The session, titled “Solar-Based Farm Mechanisation for Transforming Agriculture Across the Global South,” featured insights from prominent figures, including Ajay Mathur, Director General of the International Solar Alliance; Swati Agarwal, Programme Officer at OAK Foundation; Uwe Gehlen, Head of German Development Cooperation in India; Subhodeep Basu from ICRIER; Harish Hande, Founder & CEO of SELCO Foundation; and Siraj Hussain, Advisor for Food Processing at FICCI.
Ajay Mathur addressed the increasing demand for cereals and emphasised the need for innovative, cost-effective solar solutions such as solar pumps, solar cold storage, agri-PV systems (combining agriculture with solar power generation), and electric tractors. He stressed that while the technology is available, the financial ecosystem needs to evolve to support widespread adoption. Mathur advocated for asset-based financing and guarantee mechanisms to attract international investors. Echoing this sentiment, Harish Hande proposed a shift from operational expenditure financing to long-term asset-based models. He cited Meghalaya’s capital loan model for women turmeric farmers as an effective example of financial innovation that can be replicated elsewhere.
Other panelists also shared key insights. Siraj Hussain highlighted India’s progress in solar-powered farm mechanisation, pointing to the distribution of 400,000 solar pumps under the KUSUM scheme and government subsidies for solar cold storage under the MIDH initiative. Swati Agarwal underscored the importance of supportive policy frameworks that strengthen local workforces and integrate food and energy security. She stressed the need to align existing crop patterns with solar adoption to build farmer confidence. Meanwhile, Subhodeep Basu called for more stakeholder engagement and farmer-centric models, noting the lack of research on the impact of solar energy on crop productivity. He advocated for learning from international best practices, including Japan’s soil norms and the U.S. and China’s Agri-PV strategies, to create effective India-specific policies.
