India's expansion of solar energy in African countries and island nations

Context

According to Prahlad Joshi, Minister of Renewable Energy, Government of India, the central government plans to demonstrate the Pradhan Mantri Kusum (PM-KUSUM) and Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar programs in African and island countries. This program will be particularly important in countries with connectivity issues. The potential of solar energy in these countries will be promoted through the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Objective of the Prime Minister's Kusum Program

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program aims to develop solar energy infrastructure in the agricultural sector in India and has a budget of ₹34,000 crore.
• The program includes the installation of 100 GW of solar power plants on farmer-owned land, installation of 1.4 million solar pumps, and solarization of 3.5 million grid-connected agricultural pumps.

Development and goals

• Launched in 2019, the program's primary goal was to add 308 GW of solar power capacity by 2022, but this was not achieved. Subsequently, the central government set a new target of 348 GW, with a deadline of March 2026.
• As part of this plan, approximately 1.75 million solar pumps were to be installed on farmers' fields by September 30, 2025, with 70% progress achieved.
• On the other hand, decentralized grid-connected solar plants account for only 6%, and grid-connected agricultural pumps account for between 16% and 25% of installations.

International expansion and future direction

• India's success with solar pumps has generated considerable interest in African countries and island nations. According to the ISA, only 4% of arable land in Africa is irrigated, while Africa imports $400 billion worth of food grains.
• Seeing India's success, many African leaders have expressed interest in solar pumps, which opens up new possibilities for solar energy companies.
• According to the Ministry of Renewable Energy, this scheme may be extended beyond 2026. While installation of grid-connected pumps is taking time, farmers have achieved significant success in installing standalone solar pumps. The scheme's target will be easily achieved in the next few years.

Increasing India's Soft Power

• The Prime Minister's Kusum and Surya Ghar programs are important steps toward developing solar energy in India, not only empowering the agricultural sector but also strengthening India's energy initiatives internationally.
• Expanding these programs to African and island countries could make India a significant leader in the global solar energy sector.