As part of the on-going “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” celebrations, a (virtual) policy dialogue on “Maximising the Productive Outcomes” of Government of India’s PM-KUSUM initiative was co-organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH with support from CGIAR Research Programs on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The event marked the launch of the “Solar Irrigation Pump Sizing Tool”, co-developed by IWMI, CCAFS and ICAR for PM-KUSUM with support from GIZ. The (virtual) session included an overview presentation that highlighted the importance of “right-sizing” solar irrigation pumps and enumerated pathways for maximising productive outcomes of PM-KUSUM. An online, as well as a desktop version of the SIP sizing
tool, were demonstrated. Furthermore, field experiences from Bihar and Jharkhand were shared and an emphasis was placed on the need for innovative financial models that can help small farmers adopt solar technologies. Additional insights from a large survey of solar farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Tamilnadu were shared with the audience.

The session also saw participation from PMKUSUM beneficiaries and solar irrigation entrepreneurs. The farmers expressed relief at the significant lowering of irrigation costs as a result of solar adoption, but also reiterated the need for technical support to help them maximise productive uses of solar energy.

Nearly 100 participants joined the dialogue. For further information please contact Mr. Florian Postel, florian.postel(at)giz.de.