A clean, cheap, and reliable energy source can increase power supply to farmers while alleviating subsidy burdens and reducing greenhouse emissions. These are precisely the goals of the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme launched in 2019 with a budget outlay of INR 34,422 crores. But as the March 2026 end date is rapidly approaching, the scheme has achieved only 5% of its targeted 34.8 GW solar deployment.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy recently urged the Centre to implement strategic financial and administrative reforms to the scheme. The upcoming Union and state budgets present a pivotal opportunity to address the implementation bottlenecks, unlock the scheme’s benefits, and lay the groundwork for a revamped second phase.
PM-KUSUM seeks to deploy 10 GW of decentralized solar plants on farmer-owned lands, install 14 lakh standalone solar pumps, and solarize 35 lakh grid-connected agricultural pumps—known as Components A, B, and C, respectively. By subsidizing solar pump adoption and supporting DISCOMs to solarize grid-connected pumps with decentralized solar plants, the scheme delivers reliable daytime power to farmers.
PM-KUSUM holds transformative potential for both India’s agricultural and energy sectors. Decisive financial boosts in the 2025 budgets will harness the growing winds of interest, kindle the aspirations of other states, and pave the way for widespread adoption. As the saying goes, “Tomorrow is built on the actions we take today”, now is the time to shape a sustainable energy future for India’s agricultural landscape.
Priyami Dutta (Policy Advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development) and Bharat Sharma (Program Associate at the Council on Energy Environment and Water) co-authored the article.
Cover image by Chris Engel from Pixabay
