The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Promotion of Solar Water Pumps project from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh have been collaborating on the solarization of Indian agriculture since 2018-19. The primary focus of this collaborative work has so far been on equitable, effective, and sustainable expansion of solar irrigation pumps through effective programs and policies. Going forward, IWMI and GIZ are also keen to explore pathways for mainstreaming of smallholder-friendly AgriPV systems in India. In this context, both organisations conducted a brainstorming session and stakeholder consultation that focused on the following objectives:

a. Build a network of interested stakeholders from academia, action and policy that are keen on Agri-PV upscaling and mainstreaming in India.
b. Draw insights from existing AgriPV research and field experiences in different states and identify key drivers, bottlenecks, and policy-relevant issues.
c. Discuss ideas and opportunities for collaborative research/action research in this domain.

The event included inputs from different stakeholders and a lively discussion on the challenges as well as the potential of AgriPV systems. Part of the discussion was also the opportunity to promote AgriPV under the current PM-KUSUM scheme which focuses on the solarisation of the Indian agricultural sector. The event was conducted in ‘hybrid mode’ with around 30 participants from organisations like ICAR-CAZRI, GERMI, Fraunhofer ISE and SunSeed APV.

For more information please contact Mr. Florian Postel, florian.postel(at)giz.de.