India's third consecutive Presidency of the International Solar Alliance shows a shift in its climate diplomacy from rule-taker to agenda-setter. Discuss with reference to the Global South.

India and France launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at COP21 in 2015. In 2017 it became the first treaty-based intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India [3]. India has now been re-elected ISA President for a third consecutive term [1]. In climate talks India mostly reacted to frameworks set by the North. Through ISA it now designs institutions for the Global South, although some limits remain.

Evidence of agenda-setting

• Building the institution: India hosts the Secretariat at Gurugram and committed ₹175 crore for the corpus fund and early running costs [8]. An amendment opened membership to all UN Member States, so ISA is no longer limited to countries between the Tropics [4].
• Setting norms: India proposed One Sun One World One Grid, which was launched with the UK's Green Grids Initiative at COP26 [5]. The 4th Assembly set a goal of USD 1 trillion in solar investment by 2030 [6].
• Finance built around Southern needs: the Africa Solar Facility (USD 200 million, including about USD 25 million from India) and Nigeria's USD 300 million DRE Fund use public money to draw in private capital [1].
• Help for vulnerable states: a pooled order for solar and storage in Small Island Developing States begins with Mauritius. Solar is also powering clinics, schools and cold storage in Fiji, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles [1].
• Sharing Indian models: Agri-PV, adapted from PM-KUSUM, 17 STAR Centres, the SHINE hub and an AI-enabled ISA Academy pass on technology and skills [1].

Limits to the shift

• Uncontested leadership: India was the sole candidate for President in 2024 [2]. This shows that others are not competing for the post, which is not the same as endorsing India. Critics could read ISA as a tool of Indian foreign policy.
• Pledges vs delivery: the 2026 announcement gives pledge sizes but no figures on money actually paid out [1].
• Untested model at home: PM-KUSUM had installed only 641 MW of its 10,000 MW decentralised-plant target by July 2025 [7].
• Shared leadership: France is Co-President [1], so the agenda is set jointly, not by India alone.

Overall, ISA shows India moving from accepting climate rules to building institutions, setting goals and directing finance for the Global South. To make this leadership credible, ISA should publish a tracker of money paid out and projects delivered, and PM-KUSUM should perform better at home. India should also back a future President from Africa or a small island state. These steps would turn "Power To Empower" into real progress on SDG-7 (affordable, clean energy for all).