NEW DELHI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural conference of the international solar alliance (ISA) will be held in New Delhi on March 11, the country's external affairs ministry announced on Thursday.
The event is expected to set the ball rolling for India's leadership in providing affordable renewable energy.
The conference will be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emanuel Macron, besides a hosts of other heads of states and heads of governments from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Seychelles, Ghana, Gabon, Australia, Venezuela, Fiji, Mauritius, among others.
So far as many as 55 countries have signed the ISA framework agreement out of which 26 have already ratified it.
The ISA has become the first treaty-based international and inter-governmental organisation to be headquartered in India. Its secretariat is located in Delhi's neighbouring town of Gurgugram in the state of Haryana where a land of five acres has been allocated for it.
The government of India has also allocated a fund of 130 crores Rupees (about 20 million U.S. dollars) for setting up the ISA, and an additional 45 crores Rupees (about 7 million U.S. dollars) would be provided for in the next three years.
Multilateral development banks, UN agencies, business entities in renewable energy, civil societies, have also been invited for the conference.