New Delhi, October 28
The President of India Droupadi Murmu delivered a keynote address at the Eighth Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly today at the iconic Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This marked the first-ever address by the President of India to the ISA Assembly, underscoring India’s commitment to ISA’s leadership in advancing global solar energy cooperation and its founding vision of “One World, One Sun, One Grid advanced by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The President’s address set the tone for the Assembly’s high-level deliberations, which are hosting ministers, policymakers, and international partners from 125 Member and Signatory Countries, with the unanimous intention of accelerating global cooperation and investment in solar energy. This is an important global convening with the participation of over 550 delegates and 30 Ministers and Vice Ministers, which takes place a few days before COP30, to be hosted in Brazil.
In her keynote address, Murmu said, “The International Solar Alliance has already made remarkable progress, including the Global Solar Facility, Small Island Developing States Platform, Africa’s solar mini-grids and emerging digital innovations. The next step must be deeper inclusivity, ensuring that no woman, no farmer, no village, and no small island is left behind in this solar revolution. India remains steadfast in its commitment to work with all ISA Member Countries to build a solar-powered world—one in which every region, from the smallest island to the largest continent, prospers.”
She further added, “As this Assembly deliberates on the way forward, I urge all Member Countries to think beyond infrastructure and focus on the lives of the people. I urge this Assembly to develop a collective action plan that links solar energy with job creation, women’s leadership, rural livelihoods, and digital inclusion. Our progress should not only be measured through megawatts but through the number of lives illuminated, the number of families strengthened, and the number of communities transformed. The focus should also be on technology development and on sharing the latest and advanced technologies with all for maximum benefit. As we expand large-scale solar installations, we should ensure that the ecological balance of the region is preserved. After all, environment conservation for future is the very reason we are turning to green energy.”
The ISA, announced at COP21 in Paris, has evolved into a confident, results-driven institution underlining the notion of ambition to action. Over the past decade, it has moved from setting a global vision for solar energy to delivering measurable impact across Member Countries. Guided by its evolving vision anchored around four strategic pillars—Catalytic Finance Hub, Global Capability Centre & Digitisation, Regional and Country-Level Engagement, and Technology Roadmap & Policy—the Alliance is building a comprehensive ecosystem that mobilises investment, enhances capacity, informs policy, and promotes technological innovation, ensuring that solar energy becomes accessible, reliable, and affordable worldwide.
