The 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference began on 21 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and is scheduled to conclude on 23 October. India is hosting the global conference for the first time in the Global South. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is hosting the event, with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and in partnership with Conexio-PSE.
Agrivoltaics and Dual Land Use
Agrivoltaics, also called AgriPV, refers to the combined use of the same land for agriculture and solar photovoltaic power generation. Solar panels can be installed above crops or on agricultural land while farming continues beneath or around them. The design and operation of an agrivoltaic system can involve choices about panel height, spacing, crop selection, water management and access to machinery. The conference theme is “Powering the Global South”. Its discussions cover crop productivity, policy frameworks, financing models and farmer-centred business models for combining food production with clean energy generation. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that policies should address the practical needs of small and marginal farmers, who account for over 85% of India’s farming community.
Conference Participation and Resources
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan jointly inaugurated the conference on 21 October. More than 1,200 delegates, including over 150 international participants, are attending the hybrid event, which supports in-person and online participation. The opening ceremony featured the launch of MNRE’s AgriPV Policy Handbook, a Decision-Making Tool by the India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA), and a Book of Abstracts by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Indian Policy Context
PM-KUSUM, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan, supports solar energy in agriculture through components that include decentralised solar power plants and solarisation of agricultural pumps. The next phase of the scheme is expected to further support agrivoltaics in India.
Important Facts for Exams
- The 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 is being held at Bharat Mandapam from 21 to 23 October.
- Agrivoltaics combines agricultural production with solar photovoltaic power generation on the same land.
- The India Agrivoltaics Alliance launched a Decision-Making Tool at the conference.
- PM-KUSUM is a Government of India scheme relating to solar energy use in agriculture.
MNRE is the Union ministry responsible for promoting new and renewable energy in India. The conference’s three launched resources include a policy handbook, a decision-making tool and a book of abstracts.
