With a perspective to tackle the climatic change, Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India supported the formation of Solar Valleys on the lines of Silicon Valleys.
Dr. Singh appealed the industrial houses to take the Solar Mission as a huge business opportunity as these valleys would become hubs for solar science, engineering and research, fabrication and manufacturing.
Dr. Singh said on the occasion of the Induction of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission - Solar India, that the success of Solar India has the potential of transforming India's energy prospects, while making a contributing to national and global to fight the climatic change.
By the end of 13th Five Year Plan, a target to generate 20,000 MW of solar energy would be important, where the role of industry in this Mission will play a vital role.
Dr. Singh said if the Solar Mission is to be fulfilled, then India has to create many Solar Valleys on the lines of the Silicon Valleys that are spurring our IT industry across the four corners of the country.
He said after Atomic Energy, Space and IT - the next scientific and industrial frontier in India can be the solar energy.
The Mission should progress as a single national platform for coordination among scientific, industrial and regulatory establishments in a synergetic manner.
Dr. Singh said from the current dependence on fossil fuels the increased use of solar energy will bring about a strategic shift to an outline of sustainable growth based on renewable and clean sources of energy.
He expects the Mission would also form India as a global leader in solar energy, in terms of solar power generation and solar manufacturing as well as in technology.
The decentralised and distributed applications of solar energy is already beginning to light the lives of India's energy-poor people and the fast spread of solar lighting systems, solar water pumps and other solar power-based rural applications could change the face of rural energy sector.