Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Says Agrivoltaics Can Meet India's 2050 Power Needs

Operationalising just 10% of agricultural land suitable for agrivoltaics in India can generate enough electricity to meet the country's projected power demand for the year 2050. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi shared this projection on Tuesday at the seventh Agrivoltaics World Conference in New Delhi.

Study Findings And Costs

The figures are based on a study by The Energy and Resources Institute published in July. The study found that about 47.5 million hectares, or nearly 30% of India's more than 160 million hectares of arable agricultural land, are suitable for agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics combines farming activity with solar power generation on the same plot by using elevated solar panel structures. Mr. Joshi noted that agrivoltaic installations cost 25% to 30% more than standard ground-mounted solar projects. He pointed out that the average cost of electricity supply was around 7 rupees per unit in the 2025-26 fiscal year, while agrivoltaics assessment indicates potential generation at 3.20 to 3.30 rupees per unit, compared to 2.5 to 2.6 rupees for ground-mounted solar.

Government Plans And Reactions

The Union government is working on a dedicated policy framework and plans to add a dedicated component for agrivoltaics in the next phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also spoke at the conference. He highlighted the potential for extra income for farmers but stressed the need to address land-use concerns, check project feasibility across regions, and establish rules for repairing solar modules and handling land leases or sales.

Context

Agrivoltaics is part of India's wider push to expand renewable energy capacity while protecting food security and farm livelihoods. Bridging the cost gap between elevated solar setups and conventional ground panels remains a key challenge for widespread adoption. The proposed policy aims to address these economic and practical hurdles for farmers.