International Solar Alliance (ISA)
Contents
International Solar Alliance (ISA) : Overview
Treaty-based intergovernmental organization launched by India and France at COP21 (2015)
Headquarters: Gurugram, India
Mission: Accelerate global deployment of solar energy and ensure energy access
Membership & Leadership
Signatories: 120 countries; Full members: 104
President: India (2024–2026)
Co-President: France (2024–2026)
Director General: Ashish Khanna (elected November 2024)
Strategic Objectives (“Towards 1000” by 2030)
Mobilize USD 1,000 billion in solar investments
Deliver energy access to 1,000 million people
Install 1,000 GW of solar capacity
Mitigate 1,000 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually
Four Priority Areas
Analytics & Advocacy: Market reports, policy advisory, ease-of-doing-solar guidance
Capacity Building: Technical training, standards setting, STAR-C network
Programmatic Support: Project preparation, demand aggregation, business-model testing
Project Implementation & Resource Mobilisation: Funding facilitation, risk mitigation, private investment mobilization
Nine Thematic Programmes
Solar for Agriculture
Affordable Finance at Scale
Solar Mini-Grids
Solar Rooftops
E-Mobility & Storage
Solar Parks
Solar Heating & Cooling
PV Battery & Waste Management
Solar for Green Hydrogen
Major Initiatives
STAR-C Centres: Regional hubs for solar technology training and research
OSOWOG (One Sun One World One Grid): Global interconnected solar power network in three phases
Global Solar Facility (GSF): Payment-guarantee fund to catalyze solar projects, initially in Africa
SolarX Startup Challenge: Entrepreneurship program to scale solar innovations
ISA Solar Fellowship: Mid-career professional training in renewable energy management
Financial & Technical Support
India’s contribution of INR 475 crore for corpus and infrastructure
Multi-donor trust fund with MIGA and World Bank for project guarantees
Partnerships with UN agencies, regional development banks, and private sector
Achievements & Impact
Over 4,500 trainees from member countries
Nearly 9.5 GW of project pipeline identified
Demonstration projects implemented across Africa and Asia
Annual “Ease of Doing Solar” reports guiding policy reforms
Recent Developments (2024–2025)
Election of Ashish Khanna as Director General
Membership expansion to include new countries from Europe, Latin America, and Oceania
Launch of GSF operational phase and SolarX rounds in APAC and LAC
Significance for India
Reinforces India’s climate leadership and South-South cooperation
Supports India’s target of 500 GW non-fossil energy by 2030
Promotes Indian solar technology exports and job creation
Future Outlook
Continue scaling finance, capacity, and technology support for LDCs and SIDS
Implement OSOWOG phases to enhance global grid resilience
Innovate risk-mitigation instruments to mobilize private investment
Advance next-generation solar technologies for sustainable development
Context: The Hindu
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