Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Solar Projects Give Farmers New Income Beyond Traditional Farming
Some farmers are using solar panels to earn money and power their farms.
Solar panels can run pumps that bring water to crops.
Farmers can also sell the electricity they produce to the power grid.
Bhavesh Patidar started Solarsure after seeing his own father struggle to earn a stable income from farming.
His company helps farmers design, finance, install, and maintain solar projects.
Solarsure says it has worked with more than 50,000 farmers.
One farmer, Nikhil Patel, says the project gives him regular monthly income.
Another farmer says solar reduced his family’s monthly electricity bill by about Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000.
Solarsure says it has reached more than 50,000 farmers across six Indian states.
The company says it has commissioned over 300 MW of solar capacity since launching in November 2024.
Founder Bhavesh Patidar tested the model with a 2 MW solar plant on his family’s land.
Farmers can use solar power for irrigation, reduce electricity costs, or sell generated electricity to the grid.
Farmer Nikhil Patel says solar provides fixed monthly income, while another farmer reported major savings on electricity bills.
- Who
- Bhavesh Patidar, Solarsure, and farmers including Nikhil Patel are involved.
- What
- Solar projects are helping farmers power irrigation, lower electricity costs, and potentially sell electricity to the grid.
- When
- Solarsure launched in November 2024; the farmers’ individual project timelines are not specified.
- Where
- Projects are described across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
- Why
- The effort aims to give farmers more predictable income and reduce dependence on uncertain farming returns.
- Company
- Solarsure, an Indore-based renewable-energy engineering, procurement, and construction company
- Launch date
- November 2024
- Farmers reached
- More than 50,000, according to Solarsure
- Solar capacity commissioned
- More than 300 MW, according to Solarsure
- Project pipeline
- More than 1.5 GW
- Government scheme
- PM-KUSUM
- Example project
- A 2 MW solar plant on Bhavesh Patidar’s family land
- Reported household savings
- One farmer reduced a monthly electricity bill from about Rs 12,000 to Rs 1,000–1,200