Rajasthan's first farmer-owned Agri-PV project could raise farm incomes 10-fold

A farmer in India named Kajod Mal Jat used to grow wheat and bajra on his land and earn about ₹40,000 per acre every year.

Now, the same field does something very special: tall solar panels stand above the crops, catching sunlight to make electricity, while the plants keep growing underneath.

This is called Agri-PV, which is a mix of farming and solar power.

The project is the first one in Rajasthan owned by a farmer, and it was opened on 24 June 2026 by a research group called ICRIER, with help from Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Instead of choosing between a solar park and a farm, the farmer gets both, and he chose chilli and maize to grow.

The maize was already harvested, and the chilli is three months into its six-month growing cycle.

The electricity from the panels could make the farm's income eight to ten times bigger than before.

Most of that increase comes from selling electricity, because the farming income is still an estimate for now.

The project produces clean, renewable energy, which helps India's goal of using more non-fossil fuel power.

The team plans to build similar projects in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, so more farmers can become both food providers and energy providers.