India’s farmland has always carried the burden of uncertainty. The rhythm of the monsoon, the vagaries of temperature, and the volatility of market prices combine to keep millions of cultivators on an anxious edge. Against this backdrop, the quiet rise of farming beneath solar panels offers a glimpse of a different future ~ one where a farmer’s livelihood is not wholly at the mercy of clouds and commodity traders. Agrivoltaics, as the model is known, uses elevated solar arrays that allow cultivation to continue underneath. The concept is elegantly simple: land generates electricity for a guaranteed payment while still producing crops for sale. For farmers, this dual use of the same acreage can mean the difference between sleepless nights and a steady income.

Early adopters have reported earnings that outstrip what the same plots could yield through crops alone, and the panels provide shade that protects plants from searing........

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