French Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition Mathieu Lefèvre is visiting New Delhi from 2-3 November to co-chair the Ninth Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly and support France’s bid for re-election as co-president of the organisation. His two-day visit underlines the continuing partnership between India and France in advancing global solar energy adoption and climate action.

Lefèvre will attend the inauguration of the ISA Assembly at Bharat Mandapam on 2 November in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event is being held alongside the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 and the 4th International Conference on Green Hydrogen 2026, bringing together governments, industry leaders and energy experts to discuss the future of clean energy.

During the Assembly, Lefèvre will co-chair proceedings with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and is scheduled to address the plenary session on 3 November. On the sidelines of the gathering, he will also hold discussions with Joshi and ISA Director General Ashish Khanna on strengthening international cooperation in the solar energy sector.

The French minister is expected to emphasise the crucial role of solar power in helping the world keep the rise in average global temperatures below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a goal agreed under the Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 in 2015. The same year also marked the launch of the International Solar Alliance, an initiative jointly conceived by India and France.

France has remained an active supporter of ISA through the secondment of experts and financial assistance. Its contributions include €1.3 million for the STAR-C capacity-building program across 17 countries, €150,000 for the Africa Solar Facility and a further €150,000 in voluntary funding for the ISA Secretariat.

Highlighting France’s priorities, Lefèvre stated: “France is seeking a new two-year term as co-chair of the Assembly, with four key priorities: firstly, strengthening human and technical capacity in developing countries; secondly, facilitating access to financing; thirdly, further internationalising the ASI Secretariat; and lastly, supporting the diversification of critical mineral value chains to reduce dependencies”.

Ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Lefèvre will also meet Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. Their talks will focus on India’s and France’s objectives for the climate summit, bilateral cooperation on climate, environment and biodiversity issues, and ongoing initiatives supported by the French Development Agency in India.

The International Solar Alliance is a member-driven platform dedicated to expanding the deployment of solar technologies, improving energy access, enhancing energy security and accelerating the global energy transition.

What began as a joint Indo-French initiative on the margins of COP21 in Paris has grown into a coalition of 130 member and signatory countries, reflecting its increasing importance in the worldwide push towards sustainable energy solutions.

ANI