India re-elected for presidency of ISA, Ashish Khanna next director general

New Delhi: India and France have been re-elected as president and co-president respectively of the International Solar Alliance.
Addressing the media during the inaugural day of the seventh ISA assembly in New Delhi, Union minister for new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi said India would hold the presidency till 2026.
While India was the sole contender for the post of president, the co-presidency was contested by France and Grenada.
“Solar energy, once just a vision, is now a powerful reality, leading the world toward a cleaner and more sustainable path. The progress we’ve made together is undeniable, and the true potential of solar energy is unfolding, showing us just how transformative it can be. 
As a coalition of 120 member and signatory-countries, ISA has been at the forefront of mobilizing resources and facilitating the deployment of solar projects worldwide, particularly in Least Developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS),” he said. 
Joshi who is also the president of the ISA Assembly said the group has completed 21 out of 27 demonstration projects.
In another development, World Bank energy specialist Ashish Khanna was selected as the next Director General of ISA. Khanna has over 26 years of experience in energy sector development across private and public sectors in more than 15 developing countries across South Asia, West Asia, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. 
In his current role as the head of the World Bank’s West and Central Africa programme, he is leading Mission 300 for energy access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030.
He has also worked as the programme leader in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, leading a programme which enabled private sector investment of $20 billion in the energy sector for the first time in Egypt. 
In India, as the Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank, he worked with the ministry of new & renewable energy on policy and regulatory reforms to enable private sector engagement in solar. 
Khanna, who takes charge in March next year, said the alliance will benefit from participating in international forums, and should explore collaborations. He said he looks forward to building on what is working well and grooming existing partnerships.
Ajay Mathur, who has led the alliance since 2021, as the director general will conclude his tenure on 14 March 2025.
In his welcome address, Mathur said, “Our collective presence symbolises our intention—to explore groundbreaking solutions, exchange expertise, and strengthen partnerships that will drive a new era of solar transformation. In this spirit of global cooperation, we find the collective strength to confront the critical challenges of our time. 
Over the past years, the assembly has helped shape the ISA into a global leader in the international arena as the definitive voice on driving energy transition through the deployment of solar energy solutions. This year, too, the assembly shall be taking up some major initiatives and programmes into consideration that will be laying the foundation for the future.”
The assembly during its deliberations in New Delhi will also consider the budgets and work plans for the coming year and include updates on ISA’s priority areas of work, programmes, and projects, said an official statement. The discussions would include the guidelines for the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, which provides for 10-35% of the total solar project cost to be given as a grant for developing solar projects in least developed countries and small island developing nations.
Proposals from these countries will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.