Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik calls for innovation-led, consumer-centric growth to power the next phase of India’s clean energy transition while delivering the inaugural address via All India Radio for SolarFutures 2026: Next-Gen Solar India held in New Delhi. Addressing policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, startups, manufacturers and renewable energy professionals, he stressed the importance of collaboration to build a future-ready and globally competitive solar ecosystem.
Describing the conference as a timely platform to reflect on India’s solar energy journey, Naik said the country’s rise as a global renewable energy leader has been driven by visionary leadership, supportive policies, technological innovation and collective action, contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Highlighting the next phase of the energy transition, Naik urged greater emphasis on distributed renewable energy and consumer participation. He said rooftop solar integrated with energy storage and smart energy management systems would help create a resilient, flexible and citizen-centric power system.
“As we move towards Viksit Bharat 2047, the solar sector will remain a cornerstone of India’s growth story,” Naik said, urging all stakeholders to work together to establish India as the renewable energy capital of the world. He expressed confidence that the deliberations at SolarFutures 2026 would help shape the future of solar energy in India and beyond, guided by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
The inaugural session, themed “Powering a Future-Ready Solar India: From Local Innovation to Global Leadership,” also featured an address by Dr Mohammad Rihan, Director General, National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.
The keynote session brought together leading voices from the renewable energy sector, including Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance; Hardip Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Grew Solar; Abhishek Ranjan, CEO, BSES Rajdhani Power; and Pratyush Thakur, Country Head (India), Blueleaf Energy.
The inaugural session concluded with closing remarks by Prof(Dr) K G Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre. The welcome address was delivered by Rajiv Tikoo, Consulting Editor, Sustainability Karma, while the session was hosted by Naina Gautam, Editor, Sustainability Karma.
Organised by Sustainability Karma in partnership with the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), the conference was supported by sponsors and associates like GREW Solar, Blueleaf Energy and Shakti Energy Solution. India Habitat Centre was the hospitality partner.
The knowledge partners included the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA), Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) and Atal Incubation Centre, IIT Delhi. Academic partners included Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Computer Applications, Manav Rachna University and The NorthCap University. Yuva for Sustainability was the Youth Skills Partner, while Ekta Foundation and Lok Samvad Sansthan partnered as NGO associats. The Sustainability Karma Podcast on All India Radio was the media partner.
