Israeli ambassador's new approach for synergy between farming and solar energy in India

Amidst the growing demand for solar energy in India and the pressure on agricultural land, Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has presented an important solution. Addressing the 'Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference' organized by the India Today Group, Azar stated that through a technology called 'agrivoltaics', farmers can produce solar energy while simultaneously growing crops on the same land. At this two-day conference held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, he emphasized that through this method, India can achieve both its food security and energy security goals simultaneously.

According to the Israeli ambassador, more than 50 types of crops can be safely grown under solar panels through this innovative technology. The main objective of this approach is to generate electricity without losing arable land to solar projects. Azar warned that if the uncontrolled area of solar farms increases, land prices may rise, and farmers might be tempted to lease their land for power generation instead of growing crops. Citing the example of protests in Andalusia, Spain, in 2025, he mentioned that farmers were angered due to the damage caused to thousands of olive trees by solar projects. Agrivoltaics avoids such conflicts and creates an additional source of income for farmers.

According to an October 2026 report by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), India has already started taking steps in this direction. By August 2025, 37.54 megawatts of electricity were being generated through 36 operational projects in the country. Additionally, the government has established a 'Centre of Excellence for Agrivoltaics' in collaboration with the National Institute of Solar Energy and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, while 10 other projects are currently in the pilot phase. With agricultural land already being diverted for housing and infrastructure in India, diversion for renewable energy could make this problem more serious.

Israel itself is a leader in this technology. Despite the shortage of land, limited fertile soil, and scarce water resources in Israel, the country's energy and agriculture ministries launched a nationwide pilot initiative in 2022. By December 2024, more than 140 sites had been approved there. This technology developed by Israel has also been tested in countries like Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece, where success has been achieved in generating electricity while growing crops in greenhouses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to address this conference on November 12 at 8 PM.

Israel is a country located in the Middle East, known worldwide for its advanced agriculture and technology. Due to the country's arid and semi-arid geographical conditions, its scientists have developed several innovative methods for farming amidst the frugal use of water and limited availability of land. These technological achievements of Israel are now seen as a model for sustainable development globally.