PM-KUSUM Phase I Misses Targets, Solar Irrigation Deployment Lags: Report

New Delhi, Apr 9 (KNN) The first phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha & Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) which concluded on March 31, has fallen significantly short of its targets, according to a new analysis by leading research organisations.

Launched in 2019, the scheme is India’s flagship initiative to promote solar energy adoption in the agriculture sector.

The report, titled ‘Scaling Solar Power for Irrigation in India: Lessons from PM-KUSUM’, was released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

The report examined progress under two key components—Component A, which involves setting up small grid-connected solar plants on farmers’ land, and Component C-FLS, which focuses on feeder-level solarisation of agricultural pumps.

Targets Missed Across Key Components

The joint study found that deployment under Component A reached only 8.4Per cent of its 10,000 MW target. Under Component C-FLS, just 38.2Per cent of the sanctioned 35.6 lakh agricultural pumps could be solarised.

While Component A aims to provide farmers with additional income through solar power generation, Component C-FLS is designed to support power distribution companies (DISCOMs) by reducing subsidy load through solarisation.

Structural and Operational Bottlenecks

The report identified several issues that slowed down the implementation of flagship scheme. They include low farmer awareness, land availability constraints, tariff viability issues, grid limitations, and broader institutional and financial challenges.

In a statement, IISD senior policy advisor Anas Rahman, said, "As the scheme enters its next phase, states should focus on tariff design, grid readiness, and payment security to make solar irrigation financially sustainable for both utilities and farmers.”

(KNN Bureau)