Vice President inaugurates 2.4 Megawatt solar power plant at Pondicherry University

The Vice President also called upon state to promote the setting up of the manufacturing plants for solar PV cells and modules to accelerate their production in India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a 2.4 Megawatt capacity solar power plant at Pondicherry University. The Vice President also called upon state to promote the setting up of the manufacturing plants for solar PV cells and modules to accelerate their production in India. He also expressed his concern over climate change and its impact. He further emphasised that green energies such as solar, wind and small hydro offer a viable alternative to meet our growing energy needs.

Observing that India still relies heavily on imported components such as solar cells and modules, he stressed the importance of ‘Atma Nirbharta’ in solar energy through the active participation of the states. He also called for encouraging small players in the industry in this regard.

"The lack of a trained force is a bottleneck in our exponential growth in the sector. Investing in training and upskilling the workforce in adopting the latest technologies and cited the instance of the scheme of ‘Surya Mitras’," he said. 

While applauding that India is fast becoming a global leader in 'energy transition’, he said that with over 40 Gigawatts of installed solar capacity, India is ranked fifth globally in solar power capacity.

The Vice President also called upon universities to proactively take up research and projects which have a component of renewable energy. He advised educational institutions to encourage students to take up final year projects and internships in the field of renewable energy and in material sciences. “This will not only improve their employment prospects but will also help in promoting innovations and improvements in our domestic solar industry”, he added.

Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, Speaker, Puducherry Assembly, Embalam R. Selvam, Member of Puducherry Legislative Assembly, P.M.L. Kalyana Sundaram, Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, Prof. Gurmeet Singh, Director of Studies, S. Balakrishnan and others were present during the event.

Read More:

• Pondicherry University Courses
• Pondicherry University Placements