Indian President Droupadi Murmu delivered the keynote address at the 8ᵗʰ session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly in New Delhi. She commended the ISA’s achievements, including the Global Solar Facility, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) platform, Africa’s solar mini-grids, and emerging digital innovations. Furthermore, she highlighted that the next steps should include deeper inclusivity, ensuring that no woman, farmer, village, and small island is left behind in the solar revolution.
President Murmu further stated that India remains committed to working with all ISA member countries to build a solar-powered world. Through the ISA, India aims to replicate successful initiatives such as the PM Surya Ghar – Muft Bijli Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan across developing nations, particularly in Africa and among small island states.
Some of the key highlights of the ISA assembly include: launch of the Solar Upcycling Network for Recycling, Innovation & Stakeholder Engagement. The initiative aims to bring together governments, industries, and innovators to unlock the value embedded in solar waste, transforming end-of-life challenges into engines of new industrial growth, green employment, and sustainable resource management. Another major highlight is the introduction of a dedicated One Sun One World One Grid programme, designed to create a vertical to drive regional solar interconnections.
Other notable highlights include the inking of an in-principle MoU under the SIDS platform, jointly developed by the ISA and the World Bank Group. This move reaffirms the commitment of 16 member countries to accelerating solar energy adoption through coordinated procurement, digital integration, and capacity-building, thereby strengthening energy resilience. The members include Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Sri Lanka, the Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Nauru, and Suriname. Members also include Saint Kitts & Nevis, Solomon Islands, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Fiji, Marshall Islands. Another key highlight is the unveiling of the Global Capability Centre, pursuing the vision of Silicon Valley for solar in India.
