India Secures ISA Presidency Again, Ashish Khanna New Director General

India and France have been re-elected as the president and co-president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), respectively, at the seventh ISA assembly held in New Delhi. During the inaugural day of the assembly, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi announced that India would continue to hold the presidency until 2026.

Re-election Announcement

• India and France have been re-elected as president and co-president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• India will hold the presidency until 2026.

Ministerial Statement

• Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, addressed the media during the seventh ISA assembly in New Delhi.
• Emphasized the transformation of solar energy from vision to reality, highlighting its role in promoting a cleaner and sustainable future.

ISA Membership and Achievements

• The ISA comprises 120 member and signatory countries.
• It has mobilized resources and facilitated solar project deployments, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• The alliance has completed 21 out of 27 demonstration projects.

New Director General

• Ashish Khanna, a World Bank energy specialist, has been selected as the next Director General of ISA.
• Khanna has over 26 years of experience in energy sector development in various regions, including South Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Khanna’s Role and Vision

• He will take charge in March 2025, succeeding Ajay Mathur, who has led the ISA since 2021.
• Khanna aims to strengthen the alliance’s partnerships and explore international collaborations.

Future Initiatives

• The assembly will deliberate on budgets and work plans for the upcoming year.
• Discussions will focus on the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme to support solar project development in LDCs and SIDS, providing grants for 10-35% of project costs.

About ISA

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an intergovernmental organization that was launched in 2015, by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris. 
• ISA is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies.

Vision: Let us together make the sun brighter.

Mission: Every home, no matter how far away, will have a light at home.

Headquarter: National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram, India.