EconomyEnergy
Modi opens renewable energy summit, says 44,000 government buildings now run on solar
Inaugurating the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit at Bharat Mandapam, the Prime Minister said the rooftop panels save about ₹700 crore a year and promised to bring every government building under solar power.
Key points
- Modi said more than 44,000 government buildings are now connected to solar power.
- The switch saves about ₹700 crore a year, he said.
- Over 30 lakh farmers now run solar irrigation pumps under PM-KUSUM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Monday, and used his speech to tally how far solar power has spread across government offices, farms and homes.
“More than 44,000 government buildings across India are now connected to solar energy,” Modi said. The panels save about ₹700 crore a year, he said, and the government plans to bring every government building, school, college, hospital and street-lighting system under solar power.
Farms and rooftops
Modi pointed to farms as the other big gain. More than 30 lakh farmers now run solar-powered irrigation under the PM-KUSUM scheme. “Estimates suggest that each farmer can save around Rs 1 lakh annually by using solar pumps,” he said.
On homes, he said more than 65 lakh households have joined the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in the 24 to 25 months since it was launched in February 2024. The scheme aims to put rooftop solar on one crore homes.
He also returned to India’s climate pledge. “More than 50 per cent of India’s installed power capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources,” Modi said, a target the country met in 2025, five years ahead of its Paris Agreement schedule.
The summit, organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, runs until 5 November.