Inaugurating the 'India Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026', the Prime Minister laid emphasis on making farmers 'Urjadata' along with 'Annadata' and promoting the use of solar energy.
Tezzbuzz Desk – New Delhi, 2 November. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'India Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026' on Monday. During this, he said that energy crisis i.e. 'Energy Shock' has been the main topic of discussion throughout the year. Global circumstances this year have made the importance of renewable energy more evident in the journey of life and development. The Prime Minister said that energy security is directly linked to economic security and its future lies in clean energy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that along with this summit, the ninth assembly of the International Solar Alliance is also being organized. Apart from this, delegates participating in the fourth conference on Green Hydrogen are also present here. Due to this, the scope of this year's event has become much wider. He said that in the last few years, the global economy has faced many unprecedented challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the crisis in West Asia. The crisis in West Asia is still ongoing, but 140 crore Indians are proud that India has handled this crisis effectively so far.
PM Modi said that if India had not invested in clean energy in the last decade and had not developed new systems for it, the country's crisis could have been much more serious than the rest of the world. According to him, the current global crisis has given a clear message to every country that energy security and economic security are directly linked to each other.
The Prime Minister also expressed concern about excessive dependence on fossil fuels. He said that if the world continues to depend on fossil fuels, the global economy will face repeated disruptions. Fossil fuel reserves are limited and concentrated in a few areas, while the potential for renewable energy is widespread. In such a situation, promoting clean energy is important for meeting future energy needs as well as economic stability.
Referring to India's power generation capacity, the Prime Minister said that more than 50 percent of the country's installed power capacity is based on non-fossil fuel sources. India is moving strongly towards achieving the target of 500 GW capacity and has already achieved the target of about 300 GW. He said that India is now among the top three countries in the world in the field of solar and renewable energy.
PM Modi said that India will strive to add 500 GW of new non-fossil fuel capacity in the next 10 to 11 years. He admitted that this is a challenging target, but expressed confidence in the country's capabilities and said that India will achieve this target. The government's emphasis is on increasing the production and use of clean energy, so that the country's energy needs can be met in a more sustainable manner.
The Prime Minister also shared his vision regarding farmers. He said that the government has already distributed lakhs of solar pumps, but more work is still needed in this direction. Their aim is to develop farmers as 'Energy Providers' instead of limiting them to just 'Annadata'. For this, farmers should be encouraged to install solar panels on their vacant land and field ridges. He said that it is necessary to extend this system to more and more villages.
PM Modi also stressed the need for innovation in the field of solar energy. He said that the new phase of solar revolution should not be limited to just the adoption of solar energy, but should also include the development of new technologies and new models. He called upon startups, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), innovators and entrepreneurs to come forward and develop models by which the energy needs of more and more families can be met through solar energy.
The Prime Minister said that there is a need to develop such solutions through which the benefits of solar energy can be made available in every season and 24 hours a day. He envisioned a future where families could use the electricity generated from their rooftop solar plants for cooking. Along with this, he expressed the need to promote clean cooking i.e. 'Clean Cooking' campaign to reduce dependence on imported gas.
In the Prime Minister's address, there was special emphasis on investment in clean energy, increasing power generation capacity, ensuring participation of farmers and encouraging new technologies. He clarified that expansion of renewable energy is necessary to strengthen energy security and India is continuously moving forward its efforts in this direction.