The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the apex organisation responsible for coordinating agricultural research and education in India under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with REC Power Development and Consultancy Ltd. (RECPDCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of REC Ltd. The agreement covers the implementation of grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across 76 ICAR institutes in 24 States and Union Territories.
Under the agreement, rooftop solar PV systems with an aggregate capacity of 11,109.87 kW (11.1 MW) will be implemented on a turnkey basis. The project is expected to generate approximately 1.73 crore units of clean electricity annually, contributing to reduced dependence on conventional energy and promoting sustainable energy use across India’s agricultural research infrastructure.
The projects will be funded by ICAR, while RECPDCL will serve as the designated Turnkey Implementation Partner. RECPDCL will undertake end-to-end implementation through its empanelled EPC-cum-O&M agencies, covering design, engineering, supply, installation, testing and commissioning, followed by five years of comprehensive Operation & Maintenance (O&M).
The MoA was signed in the presence of Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR; Sandeep Sarkar, Additional Secretary, DARE and Financial Advisor, ICAR; Gyanendra D. Tripathi, IAS, Additional Secretary, DARE and Secretary, ICAR; and Prince Dhawan, IAS, CEO, RECPDCL. The MoA was signed by Jaspal Singh Kushwaha, General Manager, Renewable Division, RECPDCL, and Kumar Rajesh, Director (GAC), ICAR.
RECPDCL’s role in the initiative stems from its designation by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as the Scheme Implementation Partner (SIP) for Government Building Solarisation under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
The initiative marks a significant step towards accelerating the adoption of renewable energy across government institutions and supporting the Government of India’s broader objectives of clean energy transition, energy efficiency and sustainable development.
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