In recent decades, renewable energy has evolved from a purely environmental concern into a strategic instrument governing the new energy order. At the heart of this shift, the International Solar Alliance (ISA), co-founded by India and France in 2015, functions as the primary organization driving this transition by accelerating solar power as one of the most effective solutions to address both climate change and energy security challenges. Its advocacy of cost reduction in photovoltaic (PV) technology and capacity building to install it in modular systems, together with the advantages of achieving energy sovereignty, make solar power an appealing option for both high-income and low-and middle-income countries. Furthermore, unlike fossil fuels, solar resources are widely available and enable tropical and subtropical countries to use their abundant sunlight for energy production instead of relying on foreign energy sources. This decentralization creates new patterns of international power relations. Countries that possess abundant solar energy resources are acquiring new power, while countries that depend on energy imports view solar energy to achieve both independence and economic stability.
ISA in scaling solar power
The International Solar Alliance envisions a world powered by affordable and reliable solar energy, and therefore, supports both large-scale and community-level solar projects to expand clean energy access. Its solar park model, which operates in countries like India and Senegal, delivers affordable grid-scale renewable power through its resource combination of land and infrastructure and financing. The project "One Sun, One World, One Grid" further demonstrates its ambition to create a worldwide energy system, which allows solar electricity to be transmitted over multiple countries and throughout different time zones.
Source: International Solar Alliance
At the local level, ISA programs promote solar-powered irrigation pumps that replace diesel engines, which decrease operational expenses for farmers while enhancing their ability to manage water resources and grow crops. Decentralized solar mini-grids provide electricity to rural areas, while solar-plus-storage systems deliver dependable energy solutions to remote villages and island nations. The combined initiatives showcase how solar power systems help people access electricity while supporting agricultural needs and building resilience against climate change.
These initiatives demonstrate how ISA is operating simultaneously at local and global levels, creating a reinforcing cycle of development and influence. The combination of solar mini-grids, irrigation pumps and solar storage systems provides dependable electricity service to rural communities while decreasing operational expenses and improving their ability to withstand climate change impacts while establishing a worldwide sustainability model that enables countries to exchange their technological expertise and regulatory structures for sustainable energy use.
India in the new energy order
As a co-founder of ISA, India has emerged as a main architect of international solar energy partnerships. The country showcases through its renewable energy growth that developing nations can achieve economic development while shifting to low-carbon energy systems. Beyond its domestic renewable energy development efforts, India has developed solar diplomacy under the framework of ISA and supports clean energy transitions in the Global South. For instance, India has provided financial support through concessional financing and credit lines to solar electrification and irrigation initiatives in African nations such as Senegal and Mozambique, which have decreased their dependency on diesel power. It has also developed training and capacity-building programs to teach engineers and technicians, as well as policymakers in Asia, African countries, and island states about solar infrastructure design, installation, and maintenance. These technologies and knowledge-sharing initiatives further support the deployment of solar mini-grids, rooftop systems, and grid integration solutions tailored to local needs.
At the geopolitical level, India, together with ISA supports climate equity and climate justice by asserting that low- and middle-income nations need affordable financing and technological resources to achieve low-carbon development. The combination of these initiatives strengthens India's global power while establishing it as a leading voice for sustainable development and energy accessibility.
Summing up
The global shift toward solar power is establishing a new energy system utilizing sunlight as the primary source of geopolitical power instead of fossil fuels. The widespread availability of solar resources enables energy production to extend beyond resource-rich areas and creates opportunities for equal power distribution across different regions. The International Solar Alliance, strongly supported by India and, works to achieve its vision “One Sun One World” through three main activities, i.e., establishing international partnerships, raising funds, and assisting solar power implementation throughout developing regions. This wide expansion of solar capacity leads to a clean energy transition and develops more decentralized systems to build resilience through technological advances and funding methods that support sustainable development instead of fighting for limited fossil resources. In this evolving landscape, solar energy is not merely a technological alternative; it is emerging as the new center of energy geopolitics and a catalyst for a more equitable, cooperative, and sustainable global future.
Further Reading
Shidore, S., & Busby, J. W. (2019). One more try: The International Solar Alliance and India’s search for geopolitical influence. Energy Strategy Reviews, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.100385
Kan, X., Hedenus, F., & Reichenberg, L. (2024). Chasing the eternal sun: Does a global super grid favor the deployment of solar power? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115272
Hussain, S. F., & Khan, Z. A. (2023). International Solar Alliance: The geopolitical imperative for India. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 4(7), 2127–2132. (PDF available). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372797861_International_Solar_Alliance_The_Geopolitical_Imperative_for_India
Jha, V. (2023). The Making of the International Solar Alliance: India's Moment in the Sun [Book chapter]. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198884705.001.0001
Alam, M. M., & Kumar, A. (2020). One Sun, One World, One Grid: Prospects, challenges and a possible alternative for OBOR. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 25(7). https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.25-Issue7/Series-17/C2507171317.pdf
Is the sun the new battleground? Investigating the future of energy conflicts over solar power. (2025). Energy Research & Social Science, 130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104414
International Solar Alliance: One Sun One World One Grid (2021). NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/bio/anjali-jaiswal/international-solar-alliance-one-sun-one-world-one-grid
International Solar Alliance Analytics & Advocacy. (2025). International Solar Alliance. https://isa.int/analytics_advocacy
International Solar Alliance. (n.d.). Official website https://isa.int
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. (n.d.). Renewable energy initiatives. https://mnre.gov.in
Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India. (n.d.). Solar diplomacy and international partnerships. https://pib.gov.in
World Bank. (n.d.). Energy access and solarprojects. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (n.d.). Energy access and sustainable development. https://www.undp.org/energy-and-climate
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (n.d.). Reports on renewable energy and solar power. https://www.irena.org
Tagotra, Geopolitics of Renewable Energy, National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), June 2022. https://www.nbr.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/publications/tagotra_jun22.pdf