Solar-powered irrigation pumps in South India: do farmers really benefit?

ABSTRACT Solar-powered irrigation pumps (SIPs) are increasingly promoted in India as a sustainable solution to mitigate groundwater depletion, reduce electricity consumption, enhance farm income and lower CO2e emissions. While previous studies have examined various impacts of SIP adoption, there remains a lack of rigorous field-based assessments, particularly using large-sample survey data, on its impacts on cropping pattern, irrigated area, water use, electricity consumption, cost of cultivation, productivity and profitability of crops. This study addresses this gap by analyzing survey data of 304 farmers collected from four districts in Tamil Nadu, a major state located in the southern part of India.