India's Solar Expansion Faces Scrutiny Over Land Rights and Green Grabbing

A 1,000 megawatt solar park proposed in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, backed by a $672 million Asian Development Bank loan, is displacing around 25,000 Karbi, Naga and Adivasi residents from 2,396 hectares of fertile and forested land. Critics argue that India's renewable energy programme has become one of the most prominent examples of green grabbing in the Global South.

The Karbi Anglong solar project in Assam illustrates a growing tension between India's renewable energy targets and the land rights of indigenous communities. The project, which would require 2,396 hectares including agricultural fields, forested land and ecologically sensitive areas, is opposed by approximately 25,000 residents from Karbi, Naga and Adivasi communities. Community members have spent over two years filing petitions, organising rallies and writing letters to government authorities with limited response.

India's push to install 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity by 2030 requires enormous land areas, often in forested or tribal regions where governance frameworks for free, prior and informed consent are weakly enforced. International development finance institutions including the Asian Development Bank have environmental and social safeguards, but critics argue these are inconsistently applied. The Karbi Anglong case has drawn national attention as a test case for whether clean energy transitions will uphold or erode indigenous rights.

Legal challenges are ongoing, and the case has generated engagement from civil society organisations, environmental lawyers and international advocacy networks. Analysts note that without robust land rights frameworks and genuine community consent processes, resistance to renewable energy projects could slow India's transition by triggering prolonged legal battles. The outcome of the Karbi Anglong dispute may influence how future large-scale solar projects are sited and approved across tribal regions.

Key figure — $672 million — Asian Development Bank loan backing the contested Karbi Anglong solar park