First phase of PM-KUSUM scheme failed to meet targets: Report

New Delhi: The first phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha & Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme, which ended on March 31, fell short of meeting its targets, according to a new report.

Launched in 2019, the PM-KUSUM scheme is India’s flagship programme to promote solar energy in agriculture.

The analysis, ‘Scaling Solar Power for Irrigation in India: Lessons from PM-KUSUM’, was published on Wednesday by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

The analysis focused on the scheme’s Component A (setting up small-scale grid-connected solar plants on farmers’ land) and Component C-FLS (feeder-level solarisation of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps).

The report revealed that deployment under Component A stood at just 8.4 per cent of the target, which was 10,000 MW.

In case of Component C-FLS, only 38.2 per cent of the 35.6 lakh pumps sanctioned were solarised, according to the report.

While the aim of Component A was to help farmers earn additional income, Component C-FLS sought to support DISCOM in solarising its agricultural feeders to reduce the burden of providing agricultural electricity subsidies.

The report states that progress had been stalled by low farmer awareness, land availability constraints, tariff viability challenges, grid limitations, and broader institutional and financial bottlenecks.

In a statement, Anas Rahman, senior policy advisor at the IISD, said, “As the scheme enters its next phase, states should focus on tariff design, grid readiness, and payment security to make solar irrigation financially sustainable for both utilities and farmers.”