A German delegation led by Johann Saathoff, Parliamentary State Secretary (Vice Minister), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, visited the 100 kW AgriPV Pilot Site at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, on November 1, 2025.
At the outset, Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-IARI, welcomed the delegation and provided an overview of IARI’s research programs, achievements, and initiatives in integrating AgriPV systems to promote clean energy adoption and net-zero farming practices.
The Centre of Excellence on AgriPV, jointly established at IARI and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), has been approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The 100 kW AgriPV pilot project at ICAR–IARI is supported by GIZ India.
The visit underscored the ongoing Indo-German cooperation in advancing sustainable agriculture, renewable energy integration, and climate-resilient farming systems.
Saathoff interacted with scientists and students to understand the operational framework and research priorities for promoting and integrating solar power generation with crop cultivation, aimed at enhancing land-use efficiency and improving farmers’ income.
Senior representatives from ICAR and partner institutions also participated in the discussions, including Dr. D.K. Yadava, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR; Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, IARI; Dr. Mohammad Rehan, Director General, NISE, Gurugram; Dr. C. Viswanathan, Joint Director (Research), IARI; Dr. R.N. Padaria, Joint Director (Extension), IARI; Dr. D.K. Singh, former Principal Investigator, CoE AgriPV, IARI; and Dr. P.S. Brahmanand, Project Director, Water Technology Centre.
The delegation was briefed on the implementation of the AgriPV project, key research insights, and the potential for scaling AgriPV systems across diverse agro-climatic zones of India. The visit also included an interactive session with scientists and students, fostering dialogue on innovations in solar–agriculture integration, data-driven decision support systems, and climate-smart farming technologies.
