India will host the Eighth Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly in New Delhi from October 27 to 30

Launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris, ISA is the largest treaty-based intergovernmental organisation from the Global South, bringing together 124 Member and Signatory Countries. This high-level ministerial gathering comes weeks ahead of COP30 in Brazil, shaping priorities for scaling solar energy, unlocking transformative finance, charting technology and policy roadmaps, and building skill ecosystems to accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition.

“Global renewable energy is at an inflection point. It took oil 25 years to reach 1,000 GW — renewables doubled that in just two years. For the first time, renewable generation has surpassed fossil generation. This is a decisive moment for the Global South to lead. The coming decade must be defined not only by ambition but by tangible action. In this new energy landscape, ISA is emerging as a platform of aggregation—convening nations for collective action to drive large-scale solar deployment”, Ashish Khanna, Director General, ISA said. The organisation’s vision is to accelerate this momentum by moving from commitments to concrete projects, from dialogue to delivery, and from potential to measurable impact—ensuring solar truly becomes the foundation of a sustainable and inclusive future, he added.

At the curtain-raiser on Wednesday, Pralhad Joshi, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, and President of the ISA Assembly, said that owing to its clear vision and consistent policies, India achieved its renewable energy targets five years ahead of schedule, crossing the 50% mark in overall installed electricity capacity from non-fossil resources.

“Today, with approximately 125 GW of solar capacity, India is the world’s third largest solar producer. This progress shows how the national ambition can translate to meaningful change at the local level. It is because our success story is more than just numbers; it is about the people. We have seen firsthand how decentralised solar transforms lives, brings light to rural homes, powers local health centres and gives new tools to our farmers. With PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana, more than 20 lakh households are benefiting from solar power,” he said.

The Eighth Session of the ISA Assembly will focus on four strategic pillars: Catalytic Finance Hub, Global Capability Centre & Digitisation, Regional & Country-Level Engagement, and Technology Roadmap & Policy. Ministerial and technical sessions will explore actionable priorities, including advancing catalytic finance through the Africa Solar Facility, strengthening country partnerships through the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Platform, a dedicated initiative to support SIDS in accelerating solar energy deployment through finance, technology, and capacity-building partnerships and scaling innovation via floating solar, AI and digitisation, OSOWOG, green hydrogen, and standards and testing and solar for agriculture, underscoring ISA’s shift from ambition to action.

The Assembly will also see the release of ISA’s flagship reports—Ease of Doing Solar 2025 and Solar Trends 2025—outlining global progress and pathways to scale solar deployment.

ISA is a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France at COP21 in Paris. It has 124 Member and Signatory Countries. The Alliance collaborates with governments to enhance global energy access and security, promoting solar power as a sustainable pathway to a clean energy future. ISA’s mission is to unlock investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing. It promotes the use of solar energy in agriculture, health, transport, and power generation sectors. ISA Member Countries are driving change by enacting policies and regulations, sharing best practices, agreeing on common standards, and mobilising investments.

On 6 December 2017, 15 countries signed and ratified the ISA Framework Agreement, making ISA the first international intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in India. ISA is partnering with multilateral development banks (MDBs), development financial institutions (DFIs), private and public sector organisations, civil society, and other international institutions to deploy cost-effective and transformational solutions through solar energy, especially in the least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).