PM-KUSUM 2.0 Likely Soon; Agrivoltaics to Get Dedicated Push

The Union government is likely to announce the second phase of its flagship PM-KUSUM scheme shortly, according to Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi. Speaking on the sidelines of the curtain raiser for the seventh Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026, Joshi said the process for PM-KUSUM 2.0 is underway and expressed confidence that the announcement would be made soon.

Addressing the conference, the minister said the next phase would include a dedicated component for agrivoltaics — the practice of combining agricultural activity with solar power generation on the same land. The government’s broader focus, he added, would remain on supporting small and marginal farmers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), cooperatives and panchayats as renewable energy use in agriculture expands.

Joshi also urged industry stakeholders and researchers to deepen studies on agrivoltaic applications, particularly their suitability across different crops, climatic conditions and geographical regions. "We need much more research. We need to understand what works best for different crops, climate and regions. One formula cannot work everywhere," he said, stressing the need for a "deeper study".

Launched in 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) aims to increase the use of solar energy in agriculture. The scheme supports the installation of decentralised solar power plants, standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps, and the solarisation of grid-connected agricultural pumps.