International Solar Alliance Launches SUNRISE Recycling Network and Global Capability Centre in India
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDG 5: Gender equality
Institutions: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) | Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
President of India, H.E. Smt. Droupadi Murmu, delivered the keynote address at the Eighth Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly in New Delhi, underscoring India’s leadership in global solar energy cooperation and its founding vision of “One World, One Sun, One Grid.” The Assembly hosted over 550 delegates from 125 Member Countries, emphasizing the crucial role of the Global South in accelerating the clean energy transition ahead of COP30.
The President urged the Assembly to prioritize deeper inclusivity, ensuring that “no woman, no farmer, no village, and no small island is left behind.” She called for a collective action plan that links solar energy progress not only to megawatts but also to job creation, women’s leadership, rural livelihoods, and digital inclusion.
The ISA, now moving from advocacy to action, announced several major initiatives:
Solar Waste Management: Launch of SUNRISE (Solar Upcycling Network for Recycling, Innovation & Stakeholder Engagement) to transform solar waste into new industrial growth and green employment.
Grid Interconnection: A dedicated One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) vertical was created to drive regional solar interconnections, with priority links identified across East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe/Africa.
Capacity Building: Unveiling of the Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India, envisioned as a “Silicon Valley for solar,” and the ISA Academy, an AI-driven online platform for democratizing solar knowledge.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Platform: Ministers from 16 SIDS signed an in-principle MoU for coordinated procurement of solar equipment, developed jointly by the ISA and the World Bank Group.
This convening cements India’s role as the institutional and diplomatic headquarters of the global solar transition. The focus shifts policy priority from merely increasing solar capacity to establishing sustainable value chains, promoting circularity in solar waste, and ensuring the benefits of clean energy are delivered through inclusive, people-centric economic development models across the Global South.
What is the International Solar Alliance (ISA)?→ The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization launched in 2015 at COP21 by India and France. It is the first international organization to be headquartered in India. The ISA’s primary mission is to catalyze global solar growth, reduce the cost of technology, and mobilize more than $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 to ensure energy access and security, particularly for countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
What is the Global Capability Centre (GCC)?→ The Global Capability Centre (GCC) is a high-level institution being established by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in India to act as a hub for solar research, innovation, and technological expertise. It aims to be a “Silicon Valley for solar”, utilizing a hub-and-spoke model to enhance global capability, inform solar policy, and promote the development and sharing of advanced solar technologies across ISA member countries, particularly in the Global South.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will India leverage the newly established ISA Global Capability Centre to transfer advanced solar recycling technologies (SUNRISE) and skill development models (ISA Academy) to domestic stakeholders, ensuring the ‘Make in India’ ecosystem supports global capacity building?
Follow the full news here: President Murmu Addresses Eighth Session of the ISA Assembly