The The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has unveiled new research reports and digital tools aimed at accelerating the deployment of agrivoltaics (AgriPV) in India during a thematic session at the World Sustainable Development Summit 2026, marking the event’s silver jubilee edition.
Agrivoltaics—an approach that integrates solar photovoltaic generation with agricultural land—has emerged as a promising solution to expand renewable energy while maintaining agricultural productivity and supporting rural livelihoods. TERI’s work in this domain focuses on combining field-based research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement to develop scalable and responsible AgriPV implementation models.
As India advances its renewable energy transition, integrating solar power generation with agricultural activities is increasingly seen as a practical strategy to address land-use constraints while sustaining farm output. TERI noted that its research aims to move the conversation beyond pilot projects toward structured project design, policy frameworks, and commercially viable business models.
During the thematic session titled “Accelerating AgriPV in India: From Pilots to Policy-Led Scale-Up,” TERI released two research reports, a project development framework, and a digital decision-support tool designed to strengthen the country’s emerging agrivoltaics ecosystem.
The newly launched resources include the Responsible Agri-PV Baseline Assessment Reports for projects in Khare Energy, Madhya Pradesh, and Renkube, Telangana, which provide field-level insights into site conditions, crop compatibility, and operational practices for agrivoltaic installations.
In addition, TERI introduced an Agri-PV Detailed Project Report (DPR) Framework that offers structured guidance on preparing bankable AgriPV project proposals by outlining key technical, financial, and environmental parameters. Complementing this framework is the AgriPV Business Model Selection Tool, a digital decision-support platform that allows developers, policymakers, and financial institutions to evaluate project configurations, assess financial viability, and identify suitable agrivoltaic business models tailored to local conditions.
Delivering the keynote address, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, emphasized the role of strong policy frameworks in enabling India’s renewable energy expansion.
He noted that India has already established a clear policy roadmap and demonstrated strong political commitment toward scaling renewable energy. According to him, emerging applications such as agrivoltaics will benefit from transparent bidding processes, Renewable Purchase Obligation-linked demand visibility, and confidence-building mechanisms for distribution companies (DISCOMs).
Sarangi also highlighted the need to balance both supply and demand dynamics to sustain renewable energy growth, stressing that predictable policies and transparent market mechanisms are critical to building investor confidence among developers, manufacturers, and utilities.
In a special address, A K Singh, former Director and Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, highlighted the importance of integrating agricultural science into agrivoltaic system design.
He noted that crop selection plays a crucial role in agrivoltaic systems, as certain crops may perform better under partial shade while others may face disease risks or reduced yields. Singh emphasized the importance of rigorous agronomic research and long-term field studies to ensure that agrivoltaic projects support both energy generation and agricultural productivity, particularly for staple crops widely cultivated in India.
Experts at the session highlighted several key insights, including the potential of agrivoltaics to address the food–energy–land nexus by integrating solar energy with agriculture rather than treating them as competing land uses. They also underscored the importance of farmer-centric deployment models, evidence-based crop research, and supportive policy frameworks to enable large-scale adoption.
Beyond clean energy generation, agrivoltaics were also highlighted as a pathway to enhance farmer incomes, strengthen climate resilience, support women’s livelihoods, and expand distributed energy access in rural regions.
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