PM Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM)

Overview

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) is a flagship scheme launched in 2019 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to solarise India’s agricultural sector. The scheme aims to de-dieselise irrigation, reduce farmers’ energy costs, provide an additional source of income through solar power generation, and add approximately 34,800 MW of decentralised solar capacity by March 2026 with total Central Financial Assistance of ₹34,422 crore.

As of November 2025, the scheme has achieved installation of over 10,203 MW of solar capacity and benefited more than 20 lakh farmers across the country. The scheme has three components targeting different aspects of farm solarisation — ground-mounted solar plants, standalone solar pumps, and solarisation of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps.

Three Components

Component A — Decentralised Grid-Connected Solar Plants

• Installation of 10,000 MW of grid-connected, stilt-mounted decentralised solar or renewable energy power plants
• Plant capacity: 500 kW to 2 MW each — installed on barren, fallow, or marshy agricultural land
• Farmers, cooperatives, FPOs, panchayats, and water user associations are eligible
• Farmers earn additional income by selling solar power to DISCOMs at a predetermined tariff
• Progress (Nov 2025): Out of 9,964 MW sanctioned, 667.31 MW installed
• Leading state: Rajasthan (466.75 MW installed)

Component B — Standalone Off-Grid Solar Pumps

• Installation of 14 lakh (1.4 million) standalone off-grid solar water pumps of up to 7.5 HP capacity
• For farmers with no grid connection or unreliable grid supply — replaces diesel pumps
• Subsidy: 60% of pump cost (30% Central + 30% State); remaining 10% farmer contribution + 30% bank loan
• Progress (Nov 2025): 9,42,189 standalone solar pumps installed
• FY 2024-25 performance: 4.4 lakh pumps installed — a 4.2-fold increase over FY 2023-24

Component C — Solarisation of Grid-Connected Agricultural Pumps

• Financial support to solarise 35 lakh (3.5 million) existing grid-connected agricultural pumps of up to 7.5 HP each
• Two sub-modes:
  • Individual pump solarisation — solar panels installed on farmer’s existing pump
  • Feeder-level solarisation — entire agricultural feeder supplying multiple pumps connected to a dedicated solar plant
• Farmers can sell surplus solar power back to DISCOMs, earning additional income
• Financial assistance for feeder solarisation: ₹1.05 crore per MW
• Progress (Nov 2025): 10,99,699 pumps solarised
• FY 2024-25 performance: 2.6 lakh pumps solarised — 25 times more than FY 2023-24
• Leading state: Maharashtra (over 6,54,000 solarised pumps)

Beneficiary Eligibility

The following entities can benefit from PM KUSUM:

• Individual farmers
• Groups of farmers
• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
• Panchayats
• Cooperatives
• Water User Associations (WUAs)

State-wise Performance (November 2025)

PM KUSUM 2.0 — Next Phase

The current Phase 1 of PM KUSUM concludes in March 2026. MNRE has submitted a proposal for PM KUSUM 2.0 with the following features:

• Overall allocation: Expected to rise by ~45% to approximately ₹50,000 crore (from ₹34,422 crore)
• Budget FY 2026-27: ₹5,000 crore allocated — nearly doubled from ₹2,600 crore in FY 2025-26
• Focus areas: Greater emphasis on feeder-level solarisation and private participation in decentralised renewable projects
• New technology: Agro-photovoltaic (agro-PV) models — grow crops under elevated solar panels
• Battery storage integration for reliability and 24/7 power supply to farms
• Feeder-level solarisation to be scaled up — entire agricultural feeders connected to dedicated solar plants (CAPEX or RESCO mode)

Latest Developments

• Union Budget 2026-27: PM KUSUM allocation nearly doubled to ₹5,000 crore from ₹2,600 crore; PM KUSUM 2.0 expected to be formally launched post-March 2026
• November 2025: Total installed capacity crossed 10,203 MW; over 20 lakh farmers benefited across all three components
• FY 2024-25: Record year — Component B installed 4.4 lakh pumps (4.2x increase); Component C solarised 2.6 lakh pumps (25x increase over FY24)
• September 2023: Scheme extended until March 2026 with expanded targets across all three components
• 2019: PM KUSUM launched by MNRE to de-dieselise agriculture and promote decentralised solar power

Prelims Importance

• PM KUSUM launched in 2019 by MNRE
• Full form: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan
• Target: 34,800 MW solar capacity by March 2026
• Total CFA: ₹34,422 crore
• Three components: A (10,000 MW grid-connected plants), B (14 lakh standalone pumps), C (35 lakh pump solarisation)
• Component B pump capacity: up to 7.5 HP
• Subsidy (Component B): 60% (30% Central + 30% State); farmer pays 10%, bank loan 30%
• Feeder-level solarisation (Component C): ₹1.05 crore per MW
• 20 lakh+ farmers benefited; 10,203 MW installed (Nov 2025)
• Portal: pmkusum.mnre.gov.in
• PM KUSUM 2.0 likely from April 2026 with agro-PV and battery storage integration
• Budget 2026-27 allocation: ₹5,000 crore

Mains & Interview Importance

GS Paper 3 — Agriculture, Energy, Infrastructure

• Analyse how PM KUSUM addresses the water-energy-agriculture nexus in Indian farming
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the three-component structure — why has Component A lagged behind B and C?
• Discuss the potential of feeder-level solarisation in reducing DISCOM losses from free/subsidised agricultural power supply

GS Paper 3 — Economy and Development

• How does PM KUSUM contribute to farmer income doubling — from irrigation cost savings and surplus solar power sale?
• Discuss the fiscal implications of replacing agricultural power subsidies with solar infrastructure investment
• Evaluate the de-dieselisation benefit — environmental and economic impact of replacing 20 lakh+ diesel pumps

GS Paper 3 — Environment

• Assess PM KUSUM’s contribution to India’s 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity target by 2030
• Discuss the agro-photovoltaic (agro-PV) model in PM KUSUM 2.0 — can solar and farming coexist on the same land?

Interview / Essay Angles

• “Solarising the Indian farmer is not just about energy — it is about freedom from diesel, debt, and DISCOM dependency”
• Compare PM KUSUM with China’s rooftop solar programme and Brazil’s distributed generation model for agriculture
• Can PM KUSUM 2.0’s feeder-level solarisation solve the chronic problem of free farm power supply that burdens state DISCOMs?

Sources: MNRE, PIB, IBEF, Down to Earth, Business Today