October 02, 2018

Namaskar, and a very Good Evening 

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, 

Secretary General of the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres

My colleague in the council of Ministers, Shri. R K Singh, 

Distinguished Ministers from across the world, 

Heads of Delegations, 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I am delighted to welcome you all to the First General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance, the Second Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting and the Second Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (REINVEST- 2018). 

Excellencies, I feel proud to welcome our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi – a person who has singlehandedly put India on the renewable energy map of the world. I also welcome HE Mr Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. His presence is a strong endorsement of the initiatives we have collectively taken to promote renewable energy and bring the world together to combat climate change.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, 

Launched in 2015, as a part of our shared ambition to mitigate climate change, three years later, the International Solar Alliance is an endearing reality. The ISA is now an action-oriented International Organization headquartered in India with the aim of contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid deployment of solar energy. And tomorrow, we will convene the first General Assembly of ISA. Friends, it will be a historic occasion.

As on date, 68 countries have already signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA, while 45 of these have ratified it. I am happy to note that at the sixth International Steering Committee Meeting of the ISA held on 20 February 2018 in Delhi, member states unanimously decided to expand the membership to all UN member states. This decision should be made a reality at the earliest.

I am confident that the ISA will mobilize strong support from member countries, secure commitments from international organisations and mobilize support from private sector.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The ISA Founding conference was held on 11 March, 2018 in New Delhi Co-Chaired by Prime Minister Modi and President Macron of France. We had a galaxy of Heads of States and Governments, Ministers, Multilateral Banks, Businesses, Civil society, scholars, think tanks and others attesting to the importance they attach to this Alliance. Prime Minister announced nearly US$ 1.4 billion worth of Lines of Credit covering 27 solar projects in 15 countries. In line with his additional commitment to provide 500 training slots, we have already started courses focussed on solar energy under our flagship ITEC programme for promoting capacity building in developing countries.

Excellencies, today’s event is a combination of three distinct events but with one goal – and that goal is to promote a sustainable and better world for our children. The high level of participation in the Second IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting and the spotlight on the ISA and REINVEST is an affirmation of our collective desire to implement the Delhi Solar Agenda and use this platform to take the message of solar power forward.

Friends, the Indian Ocean is at the centre of the emerging age of Asia. We consider the IORA as an important vehicle for furthering peace and security in the region. We are supportive of the invigoration of IORA activities including Blue economy, renewable energy, maritime safety and security, besides the development of regional HADR capacity to tackle mutual interest.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Guided by a vision of clean energy future for a 'New India', our Government has set a target of 175GW renewable power installed capacity by the end of 2022, including 60GW from Wind power and 100GW from solar power. The significant additions to our renewable energy deployment have been accompanied by the historic low tariffs achieved for Solar and Wind power.

Excellencies in conclusion I would like to make a wish that just as the Sun sustains all life on the Earth, ISA and IORA should dispel the darkness of ignorance and enlighten this planet for all future generations.

With these words I welcome you all once again and thank you all.