Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi visited the pavilion of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the India AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, where he reviewed technology-driven innovations supporting the Global Mission on AI for Energy.
The ISA Pavilion showcased scalable models demonstrating how Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital platforms and geospatial tools can modernise utilities, accelerate renewable energy integration and strengthen energy resilience across ISA’s 125 Member and Signatory Countries.
Addressing the gathering, Joshi emphasised that India’s energy transition must be matched by a “grid transition.” He said that as distributed renewable capacity expands rapidly, the focus must shift from adding generation capacity to integrating millions of decentralised assets into stable and reliable grids. This, he noted, requires stronger transmission systems, modernised distribution networks and real-time monitoring supported by data-driven forecasting and optimisation tools.
He highlighted digitisation efforts in states such as Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, where smart metering and digital control systems are reducing losses and enabling higher renewable energy penetration.
The Minister underlined India’s rapid solar growth, with installed capacity increasing from less than 3 GW in 2014 to over 141 GW currently, positioning the country among the world’s fastest-growing solar markets. He said flagship initiatives such as PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana have democratised solar adoption by empowering farmers and households to become energy producers.
Through PM-KUSUM, lakhs of solar pumps are reducing diesel dependence while improving daytime power supply in rural areas. Meanwhile, the PM Surya Ghar scheme, targeting one crore households, is set to become the world’s largest rooftop solar programme, strengthening distributed energy systems nationwide.
The Pavilion also featured several digital innovations. These included the “One Solar App” developed by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited to streamline rooftop solar adoption through digital registration and net-metering processes; digital twin solutions for DISCOMs to enable real-time network simulation and predictive maintenance; and GIS-based distribution modernisation initiatives, including those by Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited, aimed at improving asset visibility and outage management.
Joshi said the convergence of solar energy, storage, smart grids and AI will shape the future global energy system. He added that India stands ready to collaborate with ISA member countries to build a cleaner, smarter and more resilient energy ecosystem.
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