Indian farmers are switching to solar energy usage.

As part of the government's PM-KUSUM initiative in India, approximately one million standalone solar pumps have been installed, and more than 1.1 million grid-connected pumps have been upgraded. These measures have increased clean energy capacity by ten thousand megawatts. As of December 31, 2025, the total number of farmers who have benefited from the program reached 2,177,369.

Technological solutions include several approaches: the installation of standalone solar pumps for areas with weak infrastructure, the conversion of grid-connected pumps to solar power with the ability to transmit surplus energy back to the general grid, and the use of solar feeder systems to serve entire agricultural lines. Furthermore, the program allows farmers, cooperatives, and panchayats to become owners of their own power plants with capacities of up to 2 megawatts, located on their land plots.

The next stage in the development of the initiative will be the launch of PM-KUSUM 2.0, which involves the implementation of agrivoltaic systems. These installations allow for combining the cultivation of crops with electricity generation on a single plot. Specifically for these purposes, the government plans to allocate a 10-gigawatt component that provides for the placement of solar panels over crops that are resistant to partial shading. According to experts, such integration increases overall land productivity and provides farmers with additional income.

Despite the positive trend, there are certain challenges. The implementation of ambitious projects faces issues with financing for small farms, high initial infrastructure costs, and the need to comply with land conversion regulations. Nevertheless, the transition to a model in which a farmer combines the functions of an agricultural producer and an electricity generator is becoming a sustainable trend, ensuring the simultaneous strengthening of energy and food security in rural regions.