International Solar Alliance (ISA)

The idea and concept behind the International Solar Alliance (ISA) is part of the prime Minister of India's vision to provide clean and affordable energy to all. This vision was formally presented to the Heads of the diplomatic Missions of eligible member countries of the ISA in India on 30 July 2015.

In his statement at the inaugural ceremony of the third India-Africa Forum Summit on 29 October 2015, the Prime Minister of India invited the African countries to join the alliance of solar-rich countries and stated that the goal is to make solar energy an integral part of our life and reach it to the most unconnected villages and communities.

The Paris Declaration on International Solar Alliance (ISA), inter-alia, supported India’s proposal to launch International Solar Alliance as a common platform for cooperation among solar resource rich countries lying either fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and intending to work together towards the development of appropriate benchmarks, facilitating resource assessments, supporting research and development and demonstration facilities, with a view to encouraging innovative and affordable applications of solar technologies.

Out of 121 prospective member countries that lie either fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 61 countries have signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA. Five countries, namely Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Korea, Republic of Tunisia, and Italian Republic that lie outside the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, have expressed interest in becoming full-fledged members of the ISA.

The Government of the India has provided 5 acres of land for establishing ISA Secretariat in campus of National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwalpahari, Gurugram, Haryana. In addition, for creating corpus, building infrastructure and meeting recurring expenditure over 5 year duration from 2016-17 to 2020-21, the Government of India has agreed to provide a support of Rs 175 crore to ISA, out of which Rs 130 crore has already been released. In addition, Government of France has deputed a person to ISA Secretariat on secondment basis.

The ISA will help the member countries in collectively addressing key common challenges for scaling up development & deployment of solar energy in line with their needs. 

The Delhi Solar Agenda adopted in the Founding Conference of the ISA, inter-alia, states that the ISA member States have agreed to pursue an increased share of solar energy in the final energy consumption in respective national energy mix, as a means of tackling global challenges of climate change and as a cost effective solution by supporting and implementing policy initiatives and participation of all relevant stakeholders, as applicable, in respective States.