AgriVoltaics World Conference 2026 Meets in New Delhi

India is asking the same patch of farmland to do two jobs at once. Agrivoltaics, also called agrisolar or dual-use solar, puts solar panels above or between crop rows so that one plot gives both a harvest and electricity. A backgrounder issued on 23 October 2026 set out where the technology stands in India, timed with the 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference in the capital.

The conference

The 7th edition ran in New Delhi from 21 to 23 October 2026 under the theme Powering the Global South. It brought together people from industry, research, policy and finance, and its agenda was efficient use of land, steadier farming and a shift towards a low-carbon economy.

Why farms need solar power

Farming is the main source of livelihood for about 46.1 per cent of the country's people, and the Gross Value Added of the agriculture and allied sector is expected to touch Rs 52.08 lakh crore in 2025-26. Land Use Statistics for 2023-24 put the reported area at 306.96 million hectares, of which roughly 55 per cent is farmland. The net sown area is 138.99 million hectares and the gross cropped area 217.88 million hectares. Panels raised on tall structures let sunlight and rain through to the crop and leave room for a tractor underneath; the partial shade cuts evaporation and shields plants from fierce heat.

Where India stands

Schemes behind the push

• PM KUSUM, launched in February 2019, carries central financial assistance of about Rs 34,422 crore for solar pumps and decentralised generation.
• A Centre of Excellence on Agrivoltaics set up by the National Institute of Solar Energy with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute of ICAR, which runs a 100-kilowatt system on its campus.
• The India Agrivoltaics Alliance, anchored by the National Solar Energy Federation of India, launched in 2023 and now past 40 members.
• In the states, Maharashtra's Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0 plans 16,000 megawatts on about 35,000 acres, Gujarat's Kisan Suryoday Yojana promises daytime supply for up to 16 hours, and Karnataka's Surya Raitha scheme pushes solar irrigation pumps.

Fruits, vegetables, spices and medicinal plants suit cultivation under panels. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh together account for close to 50 per cent of the estimated AgriPV generation potential, while Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Bihar and West Bengal are rated moderate.