‘I Want a Worldwide Solar Revolution’: Modi at Solar Alliance Meet

Catch all the live updates from the International Solar Alliance Summit on The Quint.

PM Modi addressing the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance.

(Photo: Twitter/PIB) 

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Delhi Police Issue Traffic Advisory

According to an advisory issued by the Delhi police, traffic movement will be restricted on certain roads from 10 to 12 March.

Motorists have been advised to avoid Satya Marg, Shanti Path, Teen Murti roundabout, South Avenue Road, Dara Shikoh Road, Akbar Road, Krishna Menon Marg, Vijay Chowk, Mother Teresa Crescent Road, and Sardar Patel Marg.

Other Lutyens' roads that should be avoided are Panchsheel Marg, San Martin Marg, Kautilya Marg, Tyag Raj Marg, Safdarjung Road, and Tughlak Road, among others.

Students who are appearing for board exams and are likely to take these roads to their respective examination centres have been advised to start well on time to avoid delays.

The advisory said commuters could use Ring Road, Bhairon Road, Matura Road, Lodhi Road, Aurobindo Marg, AIIMS Chowk, and Dhaula Kuan.

Updated at:10th Mar, 2018 at 9:41 PM

PM Modi Holds Bilateral Meets

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 9 March, held a series of bilateral meetings with the heads of three nations ahead of the founding conference of the Solar Summit.

Modi met Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo; Enele Sopoaga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu; and Charlot Salwai, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, official sources said.

He will hold similar meetings with Baron Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru; Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger; Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President of the Republic of Cote d' Ivoire; Albert Pahimi Padacke, Prime Minister of the Republic of Chad, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

On Sunday, 11 March, he will meet leaders from Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh, among others, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.

Updated at:10th Mar, 2018 at 9:41 PM

Global Bankers Participating in Solar Summit

Several global bankers have confirmed their participation at the event, including Werner Hoyer, president and chairman, European Investment Bank; KV Kamath, president, BRICS Development Bank; Nandita Parshad, managing director, energy and natural resources, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Banbang Susantono, vice president, ASIAN Development Bank.

The summit will focus on various aspects of promoting solar energy in 121 countries that are part of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), like credit mechanism, crowd-funding and sharing of technology breakthroughs.

Updated at:10th Mar, 2018 at 9:41 PM

Stage Set for First Mega International Solar Summit

The stage is set for the first mega International Solar Summit on Sunday, 11 March, which will be attended by foreign dignitaries, including several state heads and business leaders.

Heads of states of as many as 23 nations, including France, Australia and Sri Lanka, will attend the first International Solar Alliance Summit in New Delhi.

The summit assumes significance in view of India's ambitious renewable energy target of having 175 GW clean energy capacities, including 100 GW solar and 60 GW wind power. The event is being co-hosted by India and France to promote solar energy.

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 11:52 AM

PM Modi Addresses Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the dignitaries of 23 countries gathered at the summit, stating that India would produce 175 GW of electricity from renewable sources by 2022, and as much as 100 GW from solar energy. French President, Emmanuel Macron delivered the opening address at the event.

India will produce 175 GW electricity from renewable sources by 2022 and 100 GW will be from solar energy. Distribution of 28 crore LED bulbs in 3 years has saved $2 billion and 4GW of electricity. India will also provide 500 training slots for ISA member countries and start solar tech mission to lead R&D in the sector. 

PM Modi 

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 11:58 AM

Modi Outlines 10-Point Action Plan to Harness Solar Energy

PM Modi, in his ongoing address at the Solar Summit, has outlined a 10-point action plan to bring about a “worldwide solar revolution”.

The first is that we have to ensure better and economic solar energy is made available to all. We have to encourage innovation and increase our solar energy production. Other points call for concessional financing, affordable technology to raise share of solar electricity in energy mix.

PM Modi 

We should make the ISA secretariat strong and professional. If you want all of humanity to benefit, then I am confident that we all will come together and think like one family, so that we are able to bring unity and solidarity in our objectives and efforts. This is the way we will be able to achieve what ancient monks used to pray for when they said ‘<i>Tamaso ma Jyatirgamaya</i>’ which means “From darkness, lead me to light.”

PM Modi at the ISA Meet

Modi has also said that India will provide 500 training slots for ISA member countries and start solar tech mission to lead R&D in the sector.

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 3:20 PM

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Addresses the Plenary

The hallowed portals of Rashtrapati Bhawan are no strangers to history, and so it is befitting that the story of the ISA should find its marker here. As the first international organisation with its headquarters in India, ISA is not only a testament to India’s unwavering faith in multilateralism but also a commitment on all of our parts to a better, sustainable and greener future.

EAM Sushma Swaraj&nbsp;

Swaraj has announced that India has provided support worth US$ 27 million towards hosting the ISA secretariat, created an ISA corpus fund, offered training support for ISA member countries at National Institute for Solar Energy (NISE) and also provided support for demonstration projects for solar home lighting, solar pumps for farmers and for other solar applications. Apart from this, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) have announced contribution of US$ 1 million each to the ISA corpus.

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 11:51 AM

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Rwandan President Addresses the Plenary

President of Rwanda and Chairman of the African Union, Paul Kagame, takes to the stage to address the plenary.

I commend India and France’s leadership on solar energy ever since the alliance was proposed at the Paris Climate Summit, including the commitment of significant financial resources and credits from which Africa stands to benefit.

Paul Kagame&nbsp;

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 12:36 PM

French President Lauds India, Takes Dig at Trump in His Speech

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, 11 March, that one trillion US dollars will be needed to achieve one terawatt (TW) of solar power capacity by 2030, reported PTI.

Without any names, he referred to countries quitting the historic Paris Climate agreement, and said ISA nations came together to "deliver complete results".

The oblique reference was to US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015.

They (ISA member nations) started to act and to deliver complete results. They didn’t wait, they didn’t stop because few countries decided to just leave the floor and the Paris agreement. Because they decided it was good for them, their children and grandchildren, and they decided to act and keep acting.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron said countries represented at ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 percent of the population do not have access to power, he said.

The French President highlighted three primary things which needed to be done. Firstly, identifying solar energy potential in each country, their projects and financing requirements. Secondly, mobilising available finance, and thirdly, to provide a favourable framework.

"In order to reach the 1,000 billion dollars by 2030, to reach the 1 TW of solar energy, we need private investors," he said, adding that the alliance will provide a favourable framework.

Macron also lauded India for showing the world the way in scaling up solar power generation capacity.

Updated at:12th Mar, 2018 at 8:58 AM

"Focus was On Capacity Building:" MEA Spokesperson Ravish Kumar

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary K Nagaraj Naidu has said that 121 countries have already signed the International Solar Alliance agreement. He also said that other countries are in the process of going through it.

Elaborating on the bilateral meeting with African nations on the sidelines of the International Solar Alliance, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the focus was on capacity building and that India is offering assistance to the African nations.

Focus was on capacity building. We offered our help &amp; assistance to them. Focus was also on climate change, technology, renewable energy &amp; development co-opeartion.

Raveesh Kumar

Updated at:11th Mar, 2018 at 7:56 PM

PM Modi Meets Foreign Leaders, Holds Bilateral Talks on Sidelines of Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with the presidents of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Seychelles on key issues, including developmental cooperation, besides holding parleys with leaders from the UAE, Seychelles, Comoros, Guyana, Fiji, Djibouti, Somalia, Mali, Rwanda, Australia, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Gabon.

Modi also met the Governor General of Australia, Sir Peter John Cosgrove; President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian; Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia Mahdi Mohamed Guled, and Prime Minister of Fiji Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama.

PM Narendra Modi meets  President of the Republic of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe 

PM Narendra Modi meets Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter John Cosgrove 

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Gabonese Republic, Ali Bongo Ondimba

PM Narendra Modi meets Vice President of Suriname, Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin

PM Narendra Modi meets President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré

PM Narendra Modi meets Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Mahdi Mohamed Guled

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Republic of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh 

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Republic of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

PM Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama

PM Narendra Modi meets President of Guyana, Brigadier David Arthur Granger

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame 

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani

PM Narendra Modi meets President of the Republic of Seychelles, Danny Antoine Rollen Faure.

We offered our help and assistance to them. The focus (during the talks) was on climate change, renewable energy, solar technology and development cooperation. We have significant development cooperation with most of the African countries. There was discussion on how to take that forward.

Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs

Updated at:12th Mar, 2018 at 11:26 AM

Delhi Police Issues Traffic Advisory in Light of Summit

The advisory mentions roads to avoid because of increased traffic during the summit.(Photo Courtesy: Delhi Traffic Police)

The Delhi Police issued a traffic advisory, with guidelines on roads to avoid, on account of heightened security arrangements for foreign dignitaries in India for the summit.

Updated at:12th Mar, 2018 at 10:01 AM

US, China Keen to Join International Solar Alliance

United States and China are also keen to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) that aims to promote solar energy across countries falling on the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, a senior official said.

"The other countries like the US and China are among the prospective 121 countries under the ISA. But, they are yet to sign the agreement. They have shown interest," External Affairs Joint Secretary (Europe West) K Nagaraj Naidu said, while replying to a question whether other countries have shown interest in the ISA.

All of them (US and China) have taken part very actively in the steering committee proceedings. The last one was held on 20 February 2018 in New Delhi. They also participated. So, there is great deal of enthusiasm to this initiative.

TS Tirumurthi, External Affairs Secretary, Economic Relations

Updated at:12th Mar, 2018 at 10:01 AM

The first International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit began on Sunday, 11 March, and witnessed as many as 23 nations in attendance, including France, Australia and Sri Lanka.

Apart from French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met with leaders of Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Somalia, Burkina Faso, UAE, and Rwanda, among other countries.

• PM Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with international leaders on the sidelines of the ISA Summit in New Delhi on Sunday, 11 March
  
• PM Modi, in his address at the International Solar Alliance Summit, outlined a 10-point action plan to bring about a “worldwide solar revolution”
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron lauded India for showing the world the way to scale up solar power generation capacity
  
• Representatives from as many as 23 nations attended the International Solar Alliance Summit
  
• The summit focused on various aspects of promoting solar energy in 121 countries that are part of the ISA
  

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Updated at:12th Mar, 2018 at 10:01 AM