The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and former French President Francois Hollande at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015. It is a major global initiative for the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, envisioning rapid deployment of solar energy units.
The ISA framework agreement was opened for signature during the UN Climate Change Conference in Morocco in November 2016 and became a treaty-based intergovernmental body in December 2017. Countries that have signed on to the agreement include India, France, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Japan, amongst others.