Context: Addressing the press conference at 7th General Assembly of the ISA, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy informed that France has been reelected as Vice-President of the ISA.

• The 7th Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in New Delhi from November 3 to 6, 2024.

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA), launched in 2015 by India to accelerate solar energy adoption across developing countries, has seen limited success. Despite its ambitious goals, it has made only modest progress, particularly in the Global South, where energy access remains a significant issue. As the ISA marks its ninth year, experts are questioning its impact and why its promise hasn't materialized as expected.

Key initiatives launched in the 7th Session

• Annual Meet - The Assembly meets annually at the ISA's headquarters to assess the impact of programs and activities.

• ISA & SDG - The ISA aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the areas of affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) and climate action (SDG 13).

• Focus of 7th Session - Accelerating solar energy deployment across its Member Countries, particularly in regions with limited energy access.

• ?Presidency - India

• Co Presidency – France

• Vice Presidents

• Africa region: Ghana and Seychelles

• Asia and the Pacific region: Australia and Sri Lanka

• Europe and Others region: Germany and Italy

• Latin America and the Caribbean region: Grenada and Suriname

What Is the ISA?

• Launched in 2015 by India with support from France, the ISA was designed to boost solar energy deployment in developing countries.

• The ISA aims to overcome financial, technological, and regulatory barriers to solar energy deployment, especially in Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the Global South.

• It functions as a facilitator rather than a project developer, aiming to create an enabling environment for solar energy adoption.

• The ISA is seen as a key component of India’s diplomatic outreach to the Global South, particularly in Africa.

Slow Progress: ISA's Impact Remains Modest

• Despite 110+ member countries, the ISA has failed to deliver substantial solar projects.

• The first ISA-facilitated project is a 60 MW solar plant in Cuba, but it is still in the early stages and not yet operational.

• Other countries, especially in Africa, have completed preparatory work, but large-scale solar deployment remains limited.

Significances of ISA 

• India plays a pivotal role in shaping ISA’s initiatives and fostering international cooperation.

• Multilateralism - ISA reflects India’s commitment to multilateralism.

• Solar Facilitator - ISA help countries overcome financial, technological, regulatory, or other barriers in harnessing solar energy.

• Carbon-neutral future – By reducing carbon emissions and promote sustainable development, it helps India achieve its Panchamrit targets.

• Advancing global solar cooperation - ISA provides policy support, technology capacity building , investment facilitation to  smaller countries.

• Enhancing energy security - By leveraging international cooperation and innovative solutions, the ISA is set to make significant strides toward achieving global climate goals and ensuring energy for all.

• Clean energy transition - Promoting solar energy across sectors such as agriculture, health, transport, and power generation.

• Strategic Tool -  It is an important part of India’s outreach to the Global South, particularly to countries in Africa.

What are the challenges with ISA?

• Slow deployment of solar energy -  Despite 9 years of existence, no ISA-facilitated solar power project has been started operations.

• The first ISA project is expected to be in Cuba where auctions have taken place and a developer has been selected to set up a 60 MW plant.

• Entry Barriers - Smaller developing countries, particularly in Africa do not have prior experience of executing large power projects.

• Dominance of China in Solar Products - Over 80 per cent of the solar products manufacturing is concentrated in China, which is seen as another barrier to quick spread of solar energy in smaller markets

• Less investments in Africa - Less than 2 per cent of new additions are happening in Africa, a region that houses about 80 per cent of the nearly 745 million people who still do not have access to electricity.

• Inadequate global participation - ISA is still largely viewed as an Indian initiative and  it is almost entirely funded by India.

• Underutilization - ISA offices have been under-staffed and under-funded, and conflict with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

• Inadequate Inspiration – Failure to create excitement about solar energy in countries that are in desperate need of access to cheap and reliable energy source.

India’s Solar Sector

• India ranks 5th globally in solar power capacity.

• India's installed solar capacity  - 90.76 GW (As of September 2024)

• It has been increased 30-fold over the past 9 years.

• India's solar potential -  748 GW(National Institute of Solar Energy estimate)

Five Panchamrit targets

• India will reach its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030.

• India will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.

• India will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now onwards till 2030.

• By 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by less than 45 percent.

• By the year 2070, India will achieve the target of Net Zero.

India’s Progress

• 46.3% of the country’s total energy capacity now comes from non-fossil sources.

Global Solar Growth

• While global solar capacity grew at 20% annually, most installations occurred in countries like China and India, which accounted for over 80% of solar investments.

• Africa—where energy access is a major concern—has seen less than 2% of new solar installations, highlighting a major gap in ISA's outreach.

Road Ahead

• Rotate the presidency of  ISA among other countries to encourage their participation and contribution.

• Expedite the operation of ISA funded projects to inspire members to take actively participate.