New Delhi, Oct 21 — Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said agrivoltaics policies should be tailored to the needs of India's small and marginal farmers, stressing that the adoption of solar energy in agriculture can help farmers emerge as both food producers and energy producers.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day AgriVoltaics World Conference 2026 here, which he jointly inaugurated with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Chouhan said the integration of agriculture and solar power has the potential to enhance farmers' incomes while contributing to broader economic and environmental goals.
Union ministers stressed that agrivoltaics — installing solar panels above cropland while continuing cultivation — can help farmers become both Annadatas and Urjadatas and boost economic prosperity, according to an official statement.
Chouhan called for designs that allow ploughing, crop changes and proper rainwater drainage, the statement from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said.
He called for the active involvement of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and training for rural youth and women in equipment operation, repair and maintenance to create employment opportunities in villages.
Agriculture minister emphasised that farmers could become both Annadatas and Urjadatas by adopting solar energy alongside farming. Chouhan highlighted that the integration of agriculture and solar power could promote global welfare and enhance farmers’ economic prosperity.
He noted that electricity had become indispensable to modern life and agriculture, making the integration of energy generation with farming an important step towards farmers’ welfare.
The minister said that India’s foodgrain stocks are adequate and that the agricultural sector had sustained a growth rate of 4.5 per cent, with agricultural exports touching a record $52.55 billion.
The Union Agriculture Minister drew attention to the structural challenges faced by the agriculture sector, noting that the average landholding in the country was only 0.96 hectares. He emphasised that agrivoltaics models must allow farmers to continue cultivation instead of replacing farming with solar power generation.
Pralhad Joshi said that India’s non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity capacity had reached 308.03 GW, accounting for more than 55 per cent of the country’s total installed electricity capacity of approximately 560 GW.
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh together accounted for nearly 50 per cent of India’s estimated agrivoltaic potential.
Joshi highlighted that agrivoltaics could be adapted to different agricultural activities, including fruit and plantation crops, vegetables, spices, horticulture, floriculture and fodder, as well as livestock rearing in suitable settings. He noted that field studies had indicated potential yield improvements of 10–20 per cent for certain crops and reductions of around 30 per cent in water consumption under suitable systems.
The minister announced that one of the world’s most ambitious agrivoltaic programmes would be launched under the next phase of PM-KUSUM. He stated that the initiative would provide an opportunity to further expand solar energy in agriculture by aligning the scheme with existing agricultural programmes.
Joshi noted that elevated and tilted structures could make agrivoltaic plants 25–30 per cent more expensive than conventional ground-mounted solar installations, and that the government aimed to bridge this cost gap by supporting AgriPV capacity creation.