IIT Delhi launches first academic programme at Sonipat campus with international solar fellowship

IIT Delhi has launched its first academic programme at its Sonipat campus — a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Solar Systems and Management — in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and INES (Institut National de l’Énergie Solaire), France.

The inaugural class of the programme began on September 3, 2026, with nine international fellows from eight countries. The programme is being offered by IIT Delhi’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering (DESE). Designed as a hands-on training programme, as per a statement by IIT-Delhi, the PG Diploma will equip ISA-nominated fellows with expertise in solar technology and its applications.

Participants will be trained by IIT Delhi faculty members, industry experts and other specialists. The programme is sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Prof Ramesh Narayanan, Head of DESE, IIT Delhi, said the initiative places the institute at the global forefront of energy education and management.

He said the programme will train participants from ISA’s 120-plus member countries to serve as trainers at Solar Technology and Application Resource Centres (STAR-C) in member countries. Prof Somnath Baidya Roy, professor-in-charge of the IIT Delhi Sonipat campus added that the institute plans to introduce more such programmes in the coming years.

After successfully completing the PG Diploma, the ISA fellows will undertake a one-month internship in Europe focused on applied solar technologies. They will subsequently be assigned to STAR-C centres in their respective home countries.

STAR-C centres are designed to strengthen the skills, infrastructure and innovation ecosystems of ISA member countries to accelerate solar energy deployment, build institutional capacity, create green jobs and support sustainable economic growth.

The programme stems from a Framework for Action (FFA) formalised between IIT Delhi and the ISA earlier this year. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in renewable energy, with a particular focus on capacity building, academic collaboration and human resource development across ISA member countries.