DG ICAR inaugurates Agri Voltaic Facility (Agri-PV) at ICAR-IARI

18 December 2025, New Delhi

Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) inaugurated a 100 kWp Agri-Photovoltaic (Agri-PV) pilot project today established under the Centre of Excellence on Agri-PV at ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The project was inaugurated in the august presence of Dr. D. K. Yadava, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR, and Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director  & Vice Chancellor, ICAR–IARI.

The pilot project is being implemented by GIZ India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in close cooperation with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), ICAR–IARI, and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). This initiative marks a first-of-its-kind Agri-PV system in India, featuring single-axis solar tracking and ground screw foundations. The system exemplifies the effective integration of solar power generation with agricultural production, offering a scalable pathway to maximize land-use efficiency while enhancing climate resilience in Indian farming systems.

Inaugurating the Agri-Photovoltaic pilot project, Dr Jat stated that the Agri-PV system represents a transformative pathway for Indian agriculture by enabling dual use of land for food and energy production. He emphasized that the Centre of Excellence on Agri-PV at ICAR–IARI would serve as a national knowledge hub for scaling science-based Agri-PV solutions across diverse agro-ecologies of India.

Dr Rao informed that under the pilot project, ICAR–IARI will undertake systematic experiments on diverse crop configurations to develop a standardized crop matrix suitable for Agri-PV conditions. The research outcomes are expected to generate critical scientific evidence to guide policy, technology deployment, and future Agri-PV adoption across India. The project underscores India’s commitment to innovative, climate-smart agricultural solutions that align renewable energy generation with sustainable farming practices.

(Source: ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi)