Maharashtra’s Farmer Solar Model Draws Global Attention, Set to Be Studied by ISA

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that Maharashtra’s solar energy programme for farmers will now be studied by the International Solar Alliance (ISA), following global appreciation for the state’s large-scale deployment of solar power in agriculture.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, the Chief Minister said international leaders acknowledged Maharashtra’s model of supplying 16,000 MW of electricity to farmers through what he described as Asia’s largest distributed solar network.

Showcasing the ‘Maharashtra Model’

Fadnavis said a dedicated session on energy transition featured discussions involving ministers from Zimbabwe and India, with a focus on the International Solar Alliance. During the session, Maharashtra’s solarisation of agriculture feeders was highlighted as a practical example of large-scale energy transition.

According to the Chief Minister, the state has created Asia’s largest distributed solar infrastructure and is supplying 16,000 MW of electricity to farmers entirely through solar power.

Clean Energy Push in Agriculture

Highlighting the scale of deployment, Fadnavis said that 60 per cent of all solar pumps installed in India are located in Maharashtra. He added that this has placed the state at the top under the Prime Minister’s KUSUM scheme.

The Chief Minister also said Maharashtra has completed 4,000 MW of rooftop solar installations. He noted that under the state’s resource adequacy plan, 52 per cent of Maharashtra’s electricity is expected to come from non-conventional sources by 2030.

Fadnavis said the presentation of these initiatives received strong appreciation at the International Solar Alliance discussions, with proposals to send the Maharashtra model as a case study to other countries.

Project Timeline and Power Supply Plan

The Chief Minister also announced that Maharashtra will complete its major solar energy project for farmers by the end of this year. The project is aimed at providing a reliable and steady supply of solar electricity to the agricultural sector.

He said the state has set up a new company dedicated to supplying power to farmers. Through this distributed solar system, around 16 GW of power will be generated, and the project is expected to be completed within the year.

Alignment With National Vision

Fadnavis said Maharashtra has transformed its energy landscape in less than a decade, and decided to shift the entire agricultural power load to solar energy by launching Asia’s largest decentralised solarisation plan, under which agriculture feeders were separately solarised.