PM-KUSUM 2.0 announcement likely soon; agrivoltaics to get dedicated component

Renewable Energy & Agriculture · 10 September 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

2-minute summary

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is preparing to launch PM-KUSUM 2.0, a revamped version of its flagship solar agriculture scheme. A key highlight of this second phase is the introduction of a dedicated component for 'agrivoltaics'—the practice of co-locating solar power generation with active crop cultivation on the same land. Announced during the curtain-raiser for the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026, the policy aims to optimize land-use efficiency, allowing farmers to generate clean energy without sacrificing fertile agricultural land. PM-KUSUM 2.0 will maintain a strong focus on supporting small and marginal farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives, and panchayats. The government has emphasized the need for localized, region-specific research to determine the best crop-climate-solar configurations, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to ensure sustainable adoption across India's diverse agro-climatic zones.

Why it's in the news

The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy announced the upcoming launch of PM-KUSUM 2.0, featuring a dedicated component for agrivoltaics, during the curtain raiser for the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026.

Background and context

Launched in 2019 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) aimed to provide energy security to farmers, de-dieselise the farm sector, and help India achieve its climate commitments. The original scheme comprised three components: Component A (setting up 10,000 MW of decentralized grid-connected solar power plants on barren land), Component B (installing 20 lakh standalone solar agriculture pumps), and Component C (solarising 15 lakh grid-connected pumps). Despite its potential, the scheme faced implementation bottlenecks, including high upfront capital costs for farmers, domestic content requirement (DCR) supply constraints, and slow state-level discom approvals. PM-KUSUM 2.0 and the inclusion of agrivoltaics represent a policy evolution to address land-use conflicts and enhance the economic viability of solar farming.

Constitutional provisions

• Article 48A (Directive Principles of State Policy) — Directs the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife, aligning with renewable energy expansion.
• Article 39(b) — Directs state policy toward ensuring that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are distributed to best subserve the common good, applicable to decentralized solar energy distribution.

Committees and reports

• Standing Committee on Energy - Evaluation of PM-KUSUM Scheme — Highlighted the slow progress of PM-KUSUM implementation, identified financing barriers for small farmers, and recommended simplifying the subsidy disbursement process.

Government schemes

• PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) — The parent scheme designed to solarise Indian agriculture, providing solar pumps and grid-connected solar power to boost rural incomes.

International organisations

• International Solar Alliance (ISA) — An India-led global alliance promoting solar energy deployment, which shares best practices on agrivoltaics and rural solar integration.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

• Prelims GS-1 2020 — With reference to solar water pumps, consider the following statements : 1. Solar power can be used for running surface pumps and not for submersible pumps. 2. Solar power can be used for running centrifugal pumps and not the ones with piston. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains practice: What is agrivoltaics? Discuss how the integration of agrivoltaics under PM-KUSUM 2.0 can address the dual challenge of energy security and food security in India.

Agrivoltaics, or agricultural photovoltaics, refers to the co-location of solar photovoltaic energy generation and agricultural crop cultivation on the same land. By elevating solar panels on mounting structures, crops can be grown underneath, optimizing land-use efficiency.

Integrating agrivoltaics under PM-KUSUM 2.0 addresses the dual challenge of energy and food security in the following ways:

• **Optimizing Land-Use Efficiency**: India faces severe land constraints. Traditional solar parks divert fertile agricultural land. Agrivoltaics allows 'dual-use' of land, maintaining food production while generating clean energy.

• **Enhancing Water Conservation**: The shade provided by elevated solar panels reduces soil evaporation and crop transpiration. This conserves soil moisture, which is highly beneficial in India's water-stressed and semi-arid agricultural regions.

• **Climate-Resilient Farmer Income**: Farmers gain a steady, climate-resilient secondary income stream by selling surplus solar power to the grid. This offsets the financial risks of crop failure caused by erratic monsoons or extreme weather events.

• **Synergistic Efficiency Gains**: Crop transpiration cools the solar panels from below, reducing their operating temperature. This thermodynamic cooling increases the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the solar panels.

• **Promoting Decentralized Power**: Generating solar power directly on farms reduces transmission and distribution (T&D) losses for state discoms and ensures reliable daytime power for irrigation.

However, challenges such as high initial capital expenditure, technical requirements for elevated structures, and the need for region-specific crop selection (favoring shade-tolerant crops) must be addressed. PM-KUSUM 2.0's focus on localized research and supporting FPOs will be crucial to unlocking the full potential of agrivoltaics, harmonizing India's food, water, and energy security goals.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. With reference to the PM-KUSUM scheme, consider the following statements: 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 2. Component B of the scheme focuses on the installation of standalone solar agriculture pumps. 3. Under the scheme, solar power plants can be installed by cooperatives, panchayats, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: C. Statement 1 is incorrect because PM-KUSUM is implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Statement 2 is correct as Component B focuses on standalone solar pumps. Statement 3 is correct as cooperatives, panchayats, and FPOs are eligible developers under the scheme.

Q2. The term 'Agrivoltaics', recently in the news, is best described as:

1. A process of generating bio-ethanol using solar-powered bioreactors.
2. The use of artificial intelligence to optimize chemical fertilizer application.
3. The co-location of solar photovoltaic energy generation and agricultural cultivation on the same land.
4. A farming method that relies entirely on high-voltage electrical currents to stimulate crop growth.

Answer: C. Agrivoltaics refers to the practice of combining agricultural production with solar power generation on the exact same land area, optimizing land-use efficiency.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding solar water pumps: 1. Solar power can be used to run both surface and submersible pumps. 2. Solar pumps can run on both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) motors. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C. Both statements are correct. Solar water pumps can be surface-mounted or submersible. They can operate using either DC motors or AC motors (using an inverter to convert DC from solar panels to AC).

Revision flashcards

• What is the primary objective of the PM-KUSUM scheme? To provide energy security to Indian farmers, de-dieselise the agricultural sector, and expand solar power generation in rural areas.
• Which Ministry is responsible for implementing the PM-KUSUM scheme? The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• What does the term 'Agrivoltaics' mean? The simultaneous use of land for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agricultural crop cultivation.
• What are the three components of the original PM-KUSUM scheme? Component A: Decentralized ground-mounted grid-connected solar plants; Component B: Standalone solar pumps; Component C: Solarisation of grid-connected agricultural pumps.
• How does agrivoltaics improve solar panel efficiency? Water transpiration from the crops underneath cools the solar panels, reducing their operating temperature and thereby increasing their photovoltaic efficiency.