Surat-based solar module manufacturer Navitas Solar will invest approximately ₹15 billion (~$170 million) to establish a 3.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility and a pilot wafer-ingot production line in Gujarat.

The expansion aims to increase Navitas’ operations across the solar manufacturing value chain through backward integration. The project will be developed in phases, with Phase I targeted for commissioning in 2027, subject to market conditions and project readiness.

Navitas has commenced civil construction for the project, which will cover over one million square feet. The company said it has finalized a technology partnership for the planned manufacturing line and appointed senior leadership for the new business segment.

The planned solar cell manufacturing facility is being designed to support future technology upgrades and potential transitions to advanced cell architectures, subject to technology and market developments.

The company said the expansion project is part of its long-term roadmap for deeper backward integration and the development of upstream solar manufacturing.

Navitas said its proposed cell manufacturing facility aligns with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List II framework for solar cells, which came into effect on June 1, 2026.

The company currently has an annual solar module manufacturing capacity of 3 GW. It manufactures Mono PERC and TOPCon modules with power ratings ranging from 40 W to 720 W. It also manufactures solar encapsulants through its subsidiary Navitas Alpha Renewables and provides engineering, procurement, and construction services through Navitas Planet.

As of this May, India’s enlisted solar cell manufacturing capacity under ALMM List-II reached nearly 30 GW after the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy added 452 MW of bifacial TOPCon cell capacity in the seventh revision of the list.

India added just over 9 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity in 2025, compared with nearly 119 GW of module manufacturing capacity.

Industry experts flag shortages of experienced trainers, limited practical training infrastructure, outdated curricula, expensive specialized equipment, weak academia-industry links, retention risks, and the time required to make workers productive on live solar cell manufacturing lines as major issues hindering India’s solar cell manufacturing growth.

Mercom India’s sixth edition of its flagship event, the Mercom India Renewables Summit, will be held on July 1 and 2, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi. Panelists at the session titled “Bridging the Renewable Energy Talent Gap: Aligning Academia with Industry Needs” will discuss how to address India’s clean energy skill gaps by aligning education, technical training, internships, and industry partnerships with workforce needs.