Jaipur: Rajasthan has emerged as the country’s leading state in setting up decentralised solar power plants under Centre’s flagship PM-KUSUM scheme and ranks third in the installation of standalone solar pumps, according to an information tabled in Lok Sabha.Replying to questions by Rajasthan MPs Rahul Kaswan (Churu) and Brijendra Singh Ola (Jhunjhunu), minister of state for new and renewable energy Shripad Yesso Naik said Rajasthan is among the front-runner states in implementing Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), driven by active state participation and greater farmer awareness.Under Component A, which supports decentralised solar power plants of up to 2 MW on farmers’ land, Rajasthan has commissioned more than 1,236 MW of capacity since 2021-22—the highest in the country. In the first quarter of 2026-27 alone, the state added 500.09 MW, accounting for nearly 74% of the 673.97 MW installed nationwide during the period.The state has also emerged as a key performer under Component B, installing 1,27,639 standalone solar pumps between 2020-21 and June 2026. Rajasthan trails only Maharashtra (5,51,971 pumps) and Haryana (1,94,969), while Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand complete the top five. Nationally, 11.49 lakh standalone solar pumps have been installed under the scheme.Rajasthan installed 27,701 solar pumps till June this financial year after adding 33,713 in 2025-26 and 31,588 in 2022-23.The state has also recorded one of the best performances under Component C, which focuses on solarisation of grid-connected agricultural pumps and feeders. It solarised 1.68 lakh agricultural pumps in 2025-26 and another 29,887 pumps during the current financial year till June.Centre said PM-KUSUM is a demand-driven scheme, with allocations based on proposals received from states and their implementation performance. It added that factors such as farmers’ willingness to participate, availability of land, timely release of the state’s financial share and feeder segregation have influenced the pace of implementation.Naik also cited a third-party evaluation by PTC India Ltd, which found that the scheme has strengthened decentralised renewable energy deployment, improved irrigation reliability and increased farmers’ incomes by around 40% through the adoption of solar pumps.
