India Re-elected as President of the International Solar Alliance

New Delhi: India has been re-elected as the President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a coalition of 120 nations, for the term spanning 2024 to 2026. This announcement was made during the General Assembly held at the Bharat Mandapam. France has been elected as Co-President.

At a press conference following the assembly, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi highlighted that India's election as President reflects the significant contributions the country has made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to promote solar energy globally. This includes advancing solar technology and investment in critical projects such as mini-grids and healthcare solutions.

Joshi noted that India was the only candidate for the President’s role, while the Co-Presidency was contested between France and Grenada, with France securing the position.

“India and France, along with other member countries, are committed to increasing their ambitions and ensuring that this decade significantly impacts solar energy access globally, unlike anything seen before,” the minister said.

He emphasized that the ISA's goal is to mobilize $1,000 billion in solar energy investments by 2030 as part of its 1000 strategy. The new elections for the President and Vice President roles present an opportunity for India and France to lead efforts among the 120 member countries and build upon the successful initiatives already undertaken.

The assembly also selected eight Vice Presidents for the Standing Committee, two from each of the four geographical regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Additionally, the ISA appointed Ashish Khanna as the new Director General, who will take office in March 2025, succeeding Dr. Ajay Mathur.

Since its inception, the ISA has implemented Demonstration Projects aimed at addressing the needs of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) since 2020. These projects showcase scalable solar technology applications and enhance the capacity of member countries to replicate successful solar initiatives. To date, 11 projects have been dedicated to nations such as Bhutan, Burkina Faso, and Cuba.

Minister Joshi reiterated that accelerating the adoption of advanced solar technologies requires a skilled workforce. To support this, the ISA launched the STAR-C initiative to establish Solar Technology Application Resource Centres (STAR-Centres) in collaboration with France. These centers are designed to provide specialized training and resources to cultivate a highly skilled solar workforce.

As of now, STAR Centers have been successfully established in seven countries, including Ethiopia and Bangladesh, training thousands of professionals in various solar energy aspects to meet the sector's growing demands.

“The assembly will also discuss key issues like work plans for the coming year and updates on ISA’s priority projects, including guidelines for Viability Gap Funding,” Joshi added.

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