Pariksha Saathi7th AgriVoltaics World Conference opens at Bharat Mandapam; India's non-fossil power capacity has crossed 308 GW
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the three-day 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 21 October 2026. Agrivoltaics means generating solar power from panels raised above fields while crops keep growing beneath them. Chouhan said an agrivoltaics policy must work for India's small and marginal farmers, who are more than 85 per cent of all farmers, with an average landholding of 0.96 hectares. New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said India's total power generation capacity has grown from about 249 GW before 2014 to more than 560 GW, of which installed non-fossil capacity has crossed 308 GW. Citing a TERI study, he said 47.5 million of India's 116 million hectares of farmland, about 30 per cent, is technically suitable for agrivoltaics; 30 lakh farm pumps have been solarised under PM-KUSUM, and its next phase will carry a large agrivoltaics programme.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Government approved PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) on 19 February 2019 to give farmers energy and water security, raise their incomes and de-dieselise the farm sector. PIB's factsheet lists three components: A, 10,000 MW of solar capacity from small plants of up to 2 MW each; B, 20 lakh standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps; and C, solarisation of 15 lakh existing grid-connected pumps. Under Component A, if a plant is set up on cultivated land, the panels are raised above a minimum height so that the farmer can keep growing crops below them - the agrivoltaics idea.
Reference: PIB factsheet, 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM)'
Check yourself: on what date was PM-KUSUM approved, and what is Component C?
19 February 2019; solarisation of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps.
Revision task: from this release, note the conference's edition and venue, the farmland figures from the TERI study, the total and non-fossil capacity figures and the PM-KUSUM pump count; from the note, PM-KUSUM's approval date and three components.
Test yourself
According to the New and Renewable Energy Minister on 21 October 2026, India's installed non-fossil power capacity has crossed:
Show the answer
Answer: 308 GW
Pralhad Joshi said installed non-fossil capacity has crossed 308 GW. 560 GW is India's total power generation capacity, up from about 249 GW before 2014.
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