When sunlight falls on Gujarat’s farmlands today, it does more than nurture crops. It is powering irrigation pumps, energising feeders, and transforming farmers into producers of clean energy. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) is at the heart of this transformation, bringing together renewable energy adoption, rural prosperity, and energy security under one umbrella. In the industrial sector, the plastic industry, dehydration plants, ship-breaking industry, engineering industry, rolling mills, and diamond industry have developed significantly in Bhavnagar district.
Three Components Driving Change
The PM-KUSUM scheme has been rolled out in Gujarat through three major components, each addressing a different need of the agricultural power ecosystem.
Component A: Decentralized Renewable Energy Plants
Farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and Water User Associations (WUAs) are encouraged to set up ground- or stilt-mounted solar or other renewable energy plants of up to 2MW capacity. Developers can also set up plants through lease agreements with farmers. These plants, preferably within a five-kilometre radius of substations, supply clean energy to the grid. The model allows farmers to utilise unproductive land, earn additional revenue, and contribute directly to the state’s green power supply. Gujarat has tied up 163 MW.
Component B: Standalone Solar Pumps
For areas beyond the reach of the power grid, standalone solar water pumps are ensuring reliable irrigation. The financial structure makes them accessible: 30% Central Financial Assistance (CFA) from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), 30% subsidy from the Government of Gujarat, and 40% farmer contribution. Importantly, in tribal regions and where power lines pass through forest areas, the state government has made a special provision, no contribution is required from farmers. More than 12,000 standalone solar water pumps have already been installed in Gujarat, reducing dependence on diesel and securing daytime water for irrigation.
Component C: Feeder-Level Solarisation
This approach involves powering entire agriculture feeders with solar energy. A solar power plant is installed with enough capacity to meet the annual requirement of the feeder. With `1.05 crore per MW CFA from MNRE, Gujarat has made rapid progress. So far, 200 solar plants with an aggregate capacity of over 550 MW have been commissioned across 19 districts of the state. Another 412 MW capacity is under commissioning, making this one of the most ambitious solarisation drives at the feeder level in the country.
From Fields to Grids: A Win-Win Model
The scheme is unique in the way it creates a win-win framework. Farmers get reliable day-time power, reduced irrigation costs, and additional income opportunities. The state benefits from lower subsidy burdens and reduced strain on the conventional grid. The environment gains from lower diesel use and avoided carbon emissions.
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Gujarat’s Broader Renewable Energy Push
The success of PM-KUSUM complements Gujarat’s leadership in renewable energy. The state has consistently ranked at the top in installed renewable capacity, with significant contributions in both solar and wind energy. The feeder solarisation projects under KUSUM further strengthen Gujarat’s role as the anchor state for India’s clean energy mission, while bringing tangible benefits to its farmers.
Powering Prosperity
The impact of PM-KUSUM in Gujarat is not confined to numbers, it is visible in the lives of farmers who now irrigate their fields in Day time through Renewable Energy. By combining energy security with farmer welfare, the scheme has turned sunlight into a dual harvest: one of crops and the other of power.
It is, in essence, a promise fulfilled, of transforming Gujarat’s farms into engines of prosperity and sustainability.
PM-KUSUM in Gujarat: Key Highlights
- 200 solar plants commissioned across 19 districts (550 MW+)
- 412 MW capacity under commissioning
- 12,000+ standalone solar pumps installed statewide.