Future-Proofing India’s Energy: A Comprehensive Review and Strategy Optimisation for Agrivoltaic Systems

Agrivoltaic systems co-locate photovoltaic modules and crops, offering a dual solution for India’s rising energy and food demands while easing land‑use competition. This review maps and analyses the national portfolio of operational projects (25 agrivoltaic systems installations) by interrogating the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) database, state renewable‑energy portals, and peer‑reviewed case studies. Descriptive statistics summarise the geographic spread, system capacities, mounting configurations, and crop–panel pairings, while qualitative synthesis distils prevailing techno‑economic and policy trends. The evidence shows that deployments remain highly clustered in semi‑arid western and southern states where supportive state policies and higher solar irradiance coincide. Most installations are pilot‑scale enterprises below 1 MW, typically adopting elevated or ground‑mounted arrays that permit conventional field operations. Tomato, leafy vegetables, groundnut, and fodder grasses dominate current cultivation, reflecting both regional diets and shade tolerance. Capital intensity, credit availability, and regulatory clarity emerge as the principal factors influencing project viability, whereas measured energy outputs are broadly consistent with standard ground‑mounted PV of comparable capacity. Drawing on these insights, this study proposes three priority actions: concessional green credit lines tailored to smallholders, streamlined permitting that integrates agricultural and energy approvals, and extension programmes that disseminate region‑specific agronomic best practices. Collectively, these measures can unlock the latent potential of agrivoltaics to bolster rural incomes, stabilise farm power supply, and advance India’s renewable‑energy targets. By synthesising nationwide deployment data with targeted policy guidance, this review offers a clear roadmap for responsibly scaling agrivoltaics across diverse Indian agro‑climates.