Clean energy firms will only be allowed to use locally made solar cells supplied by an approved list of companies in government projects from June 2026, the country’s renewable energy ministry said, in a move aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India already requires the use of locally made photovoltaic (PV) modules in government projects from an approved list of domestic manufacturers, and authorities have now extended this rule to solar cells as well.
The government plans to increase its non-fossil fuel capacity to 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 from about 156 at present.
Currently, India has a solar PV module-making capacity of about 80 GW, while its cell-making capacity is slightly more than 7 GW, with companies largely relying on Chinese cells to make modules.
The government will issue a list of approved cell manufacturers as the installed capacity of solar PV cells in the country is expected to increase substantially next year, the ministry said on Monday. — Reuters
