In one of the earliest policy advocacy initiatives by WISE, the ‘National Working Group for an innovative Solar Policy in India’ was constituted in August 2007 and supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.

The working group comprised thirteen senior-most representatives from WISE, the government and the solar industry. It was chaired by Ajai Vikram Singh, Former Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministries of New and Renewable Energy and Defence. Four sub-committees were set up in the areas of solar PV, concentrating solar thermal (CSP), HRD, and finance. The sub-committees were mandated to take up a detailed study of each of the areas allotted to them. An extensive country-wide consultative process was also undertaken. The task involved extensive data collection, study of techno-economics, legal and regulatory issues, etc.

The solar policy developed by WISE was unveiled by Vilas Muttemwar, Minister of New and Renewable Energy at ‘Solar India 2007’ national conference organised by WISE. The policy draft, the first-of-its-kind, contributed to the evolution of the ‘National Solar Energy Mission’ in 2008, under the aegis of the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).