New Delhi: Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, delivered the keynote address at a State Review Meeting held today. The session focused extensively on the operation and maintenance of solar pumps under PM-KUSUM Component-B, mapping out implementation progress and the formal syncing of all deployed units with the National Portal.
In his address, Shri Sarangi urged States to significantly accelerate implementation timelines. He highlighted that the expansion of the PM-KUSUM scheme is vital for reducing rural diesel consumption, promoting daytime irrigation practices, and optimizing water-use efficiency across agricultural sectors. He further emphasized that the performance of individual States under PM-KUSUM 1.0 will directly dictate their subsequent allocations under the upcoming PM-KUSUM 2.0 framework.
Component-B of the flagship Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme specifically targets the deployment of standalone solar agricultural pumps in off-grid and un-electrified regions. It offers an attractive financial model where the central and state governments jointly provide a 60 percent subsidy, leaving farmers to contribute only 10 percent upfront, with the remaining balance covered by optional concessional bank loans. Nationally, the initiative has already successfully transitioned over 10 lakh standalone pumps away from expensive, polluting diesel engines, significantly lowering input costs for rural cultivators.
The transition to PM-KUSUM 2.0 represents a major strategic upgrade aimed at turning traditional food providers into energy producers. The next phase is slated to introduce a massive 10 gigawatt Agri-PV component dedicated to agrivoltaics. This innovative model elevates solar panel structures to allow simultaneous crop cultivation and decentralized power generation on the exact same piece of land, nearly doubling potential agricultural income per acre while strengthening the rural grid.
The review meeting, which also included detailed state-wise progress reports from senior Ministry officials, addressed core execution challenges. Central officials stressed the importance of timely project completion, strict financial discipline, and stronger multi-stakeholder coordination. Technocrats and scientists from the Ministry evaluated the field operational status of installed solar pumps, driving home the need for regular preventive maintenance to ensure sustainable service delivery and reliable irrigation for farmers.
Shri JVN Subrahmanyam, Joint Secretary, MNRE, emphasised timely completion, financial discipline, and stronger coordination among stakeholders. Ms. Suman Chandra, Director, MNRE, reviewed State-wise progress, achievements, and implementation challenges, while Dr. Nikhil Gakkhar, Scientist-D, and Shri Aditya Gangwar, Scientist-C, reviewed the operational status of installed pumps, National Portal syncing, and the importance of regular preventive maintenance to ensure reliable service delivery.