India has been elected President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a third consecutive term and France has been re-elected as Co-President, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced on November 3, 2026, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) reported. Joshi was addressing a press conference during the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 in New Delhi, held alongside the ninth session of the ISA Assembly.
Source: Press Information Bureau
The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 2 and runs until November 5. Joshi said the priority now is moving from solar commitments to investments, from partnerships to projects, and from ambition to impact, and thanked member countries for their continued trust in India, PIB reported.
Source: Press Information Bureau
An alliance India and France built in 2015
Joshi recalled that India and France established the International Solar Alliance in 2015, guided by the vision of 'Power To Empower' and the principle of One Sun, One World, One Grid. The Alliance, headquartered in Gurugram, has grown into a platform of 130 signatory and member countries and, the Minister said, a powerful channel for international cooperation, particularly for the Global South, PIB reported.
Source: Press Information Bureau
Money for solar where it is needed most
The Minister described the USD 200 million Africa Solar Facility as an important step towards unlocking investment in Africa's distributed renewable energy sector, with India's commitment of around Rs 225 crore (USD 25 million) aimed at making affordable solar energy accessible to underserved communities. He also pointed to the USD 300 million Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy Fund as a model that can be scaled across the continent, PIB reported.
Source: Press Information Bureau
ISA Director General Ashish Khanna told businessline: 'We aim to deploy around 3 GW of RE capacities in member countries, and also aim to mobilise around $1 billion in the next five years.' Khanna said the Alliance's main focus is enabling private-sector investment through the right policy and instruments, because that is where member countries are requesting support, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
Khanna pointed to the cost gap solar can close in small island states: average utility tariffs in places such as Fiji and Mauritius run to almost Rs 25-30 per unit because of diesel and oil prices, while solar and storage that costs Rs 3-4 in India could be delivered there at around Rs 10 — still about a third of what residents now pay, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
Projects and farmers
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, ISA-supported initiatives in Fiji, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles power healthcare facilities and schools, provide clean drinking water and support agricultural cold storage, and the Alliance is advancing aggregated solar and storage opportunities beginning with Mauritius as a model for Small Island Developing States, PIB reported.
Source: Press Information Bureau
Joshi also highlighted a push to empower 3 million farmers through solar energy and agrivoltaics, saying India's PM-KUSUM programme — which cuts irrigation costs and adds income for farmers — is being adapted through the ISA for member countries, particularly in Africa. On capability-building he cited 17 Solar Technology Application Resource Centres, the Global Capability Centre SHINE and the AI-enabled ISA Academy, PIB reported. The third term keeps India at the head of the world's main solar-cooperation platform for 2026-2028, Nation Press reported.
Source: Nation Press