TREX Energy Commissions Lithium Battery Manufacturing Facility in Hyderabad

Solar Cell Manufacturing Capacity Under ALMM-II Grows to 47 GW

Bihar Regulator Approves Tariff for 10 MW Canal Bank Solar Project

ARRAY’s Q3 Revenue Falls 16% Amid Slower Deliveries, Project Delays

Solar Corporate Funding Rises 45% to $25 Billion in 9M 2026

Daily News Wrap-Up: Battery Storage, Hybrid Projects Lead Q3 Auctions

China’s Proposed Tech Export Curbs Test India’s Solar Manufacturing Push

Shoals’ Q3 Revenue Up 44%, Announces Merger with ARRAY Technologies

Saatvik Green’s Q2 Profit Down 76% as Solar Cell Shortage Bites

GERC Rejects Plea to Extend Commissioning Time for 4 MW Solar Project

<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/amazon_polly_107942.mp3?version=1793944765">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table>China&#8217;s proposed curbs on solar technology exports have once again exposed the vulnerabilities in India&#8217;s plans to ramp up domestic solar manufacturing.
On October 19, China <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/china-proposes-export-restrictions-on-12-solar-manufacturing-technologies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> revising its catalog of technologies prohibited and restricted from export. The proposal includes 12 solar manufacturing-related technologies, including polysilicon manufacturing, silicon wafer manufacturing, and solar cell manufacturing.
The proposed restrictions extend to associated equipment manufacturing technologies, including program codes, underlying algorithm models, and equipment drawings.
If implemented, the curbs are likely to impact exports of edge passivation technologies for crystalline silicon cells using wafers, perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell manufacturing technologies, and transparent conductive film deposition technologies used in HJT cells, among others.
In India, the proposed curbs have led to some stakeholders adopting a wait-and-see approach and others to raise concerns about the potential long-term implications.
Some companies like <a href="https://www.utlsolarfujiyama.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fujiyama Power Systems</a> are confident the proposed export restrictions are unlikely to have any material impact. Its under-development 1.2 GW Domestic Content Requirement solar cell manufacturing facility in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, will not be impacted, Fujiyama said. The facility is on track to be commissioned by the first quarter of financial year 2027-28, as planned. The company added that its operations did not depend on any ongoing foreign technology transfer and remained unaffected.
Echoing the sentiment, Vinay Rustagi, Chief Business Officer, <a href="https://premierenergies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Premier Energies</a> said, “The final policy document is still pending, but we believe that there is no material impact likely on existing operations. The severity of curbs seems graded by advancement of technologies. The most restrictive curbs apply to the latest cutting-edge technologies, with relatively minor curbs proposed for mainstream technologies.”
He noted that the restrictions can favor Indian companies with stronger in-house research and development (R&amp;D), design, and implementation capabilities, and pave the way for consolidation in the sector.
Maximum Impact on Upstream Manufacturing
Given India&#8217;s lack of domestic capability in polysilicon, ingot and wafer production, industry insiders feel upstream manufacturing is likely to be most vulnerable to such restrictions.
According to Rajasekhar Elavarasan, CEO of <a href="https://www.raana.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana Semiconductors</a>, the proposed restrictions are more likely to slow new capacity than stop current production. &#8220;India imports 70-100% of its wafer and cell equipment, and module assembly machinery, from Chinese suppliers. The upstream segments and advanced cells are most exposed, while module assembly is likely to be least affected.&#8221;
Stakeholders note that advanced crystalline-silicon cell technologies such as TOPCon, HJT, and XBC fall into the restricted rather than prohibited category.
“While not entirely banned, exporting them will require strict government oversight, approvals, and interim registration, potentially delaying factory setups,” said Balachander Krishnan, CEO, <a href="https://www.indosolsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indosol Solar</a>.
Pointing out that most large-scale solar manufacturing expansions around the world depend on production lines supplied by Chinese equipment manufacturers, who provide the machinery and systems needed to set up a factory, stakeholders said delays in approving the customized software integration, automation logic, and hardware export licenses will directly lengthen factory tool-in and calibration timelines.
Compliance with ALMM List-III
The draft restrictions have also raised concerns about the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-proposes-almm-for-wafers-ingots-in-solar-backward-integration-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM)-III for wafers. Slated to be implemented in June 2028, the list follows the ALMM-I and II frameworks for solar modules and cells and is part of the government&#8217;s push for backward integration in the solar component ecosystem.
The industry feels that the proposed curbs could tighten domestic supply and make it harder for solar developers to comply with ALMM-III. India currently has limited upstream domestic wafer and ingot capacity and relies heavily on China for specialized production equipment, process software, and automated lines.
Krishnan said the proposed curbs could cause administrative licensing delays or restrict optimization algorithms, leaving Indian manufacturers with longer procurement timelines and higher capital expenditure.
Elavarasan noted that if the curbs are implemented, ALMM-III should stay, but with a capacity-linked review, exemptions for projects already bid, and government support for domestic ingot equipment makers.
Referring to the 15 GW threshold tied to the implementation of the ALMM-III, Krishnan said, “The list will only be officially enforced once there are at least three independent domestic manufacturing units operating in India with a combined capacity of at least 15 GW per annum. Therefore, if Chinese curbs stall equipment setup, the 15 GW supply threshold will not be met, automatically pushing back the actual operationalization of the mandate.”
Scope for Replacing Chinese Technology
Experts believe replacing Chinese solar manufacturing technology by developing domestic capabilities is theoretically feasible, but it could be an uphill battle for manufacturers.
Citing import options like Japan, the U.S. and the European Union, Krishnan said sourcing equipment from these locations is likely to cost 30% to 50% more than Chinese turnkey lines. &#8220;European vendors lack the factory capacity to supply gigawatt-scale lines simultaneously, leading to multi-year delivery backlogs.&#8221;
Explaining bottlenecks in developing domestic capabilities, he said India currently lacks an established semiconductor and solar R&amp;D ecosystem to build specialized precision machinery from scratch.
Disagreeing, Elavarasan mentioned that while India can build ingot growth equipment, it will take time, production-scale test runs, and capital for R&amp;D support. He cited the example of Raana Semiconductors’ IPs in ingot growth technology and the company’s plans to roll out an ingot growth machine over the next 12 months.
The company is also working with a few equipment manufacturers for the wafer segment.
On advanced technologies like perovskites, industry sources said equipment tools are likely to be most exposed. However, the curbs could also create a major opportunity for nations to partner on technology transfer.
Push for Hybrid Models, Policy Tweaks
To address the challenges posed by the proposed curbs, industry stakeholders believe India must move beyond importing solar manufacturing equipment and build domestic capabilities to manufacture the machinery and develop the technologies needed to scale up its solar manufacturing industry.
Krishnan advised manufacturers scaling up TOPCon or HJT lines to move away from single-source Chinese turnkey contracts and adopt hybrid models. Under such models, manufacturers can source heavy mechanical structures from domestic or Chinese vendors, while integrating critical process tools from other global suppliers.
He also pitched joint ventures with IP transfers as a strategy to limit the impact of such curbs.
Elavarasan called for equipment-linked incentives, so that buyers have a reason to choose Indian-made ingot and wafer equipment and domestic equipment gets production-scale validation.

<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/amazon_polly_65099.mp3?version=1712292020">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/telangana-green-open-access-100-kw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumers with a contracted or sanctioned load of 100 kW and above, including those combining multiple connections to reach 100 kW within the same electricity division of a power distribution company</a>, can procure power through green energy open access, according to Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions of Open Access), Regulation, 2024. The regulations align with the green energy open access regulations issued by the Ministry of Power last June.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indosol-solar-modules-new-facility-andhra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indosol Solar, a subsidiary of Shirdi Sai Electricals Limited, has begun the production of photovoltaic modules at its manufacturing facility in Ramayapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.</a> The company will invest ₹13 billion (~$155.78 million) in developing the initial phase. The facility is built on 30 acres of land and is currently equipped to manufacture 500 MW of fully automated solar modules with different glass-glass and glass-back sheet combinations, including TOPCon and HJT modules.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sjvn-om-wind-project-maharashtra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SJVN has invited bids for the comprehensive operation and maintenance of the 47.6 MW Khirvire wind power project in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra for five years.</a> The last day to submit the bids is May 2, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. The scope of work involves managing 56 units of 850 kW wind energy generators, their respective unit sub-stations, feeder lines, equipment of the pooling sub-station, and all communication equipment for supervision and monitoring.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/reil-invites-bids-to-at-eight-locations-in-delhi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments has issued a tender for the selection of a charge point operator to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across eight New Delhi Municipal Council sites.</a> The selected bidder must install at least one 60 kW dual EV charger per location, compatible with a combined charging system or other EV charging standards for widespread compatibility with most EVs. The last date for the submission of bids is April 23, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iex-renewable-energy-fy-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Indian Energy Exchange traded 3,227 million units (MU) of renewable energy during the financial year (FY) 2024, a 38% year-over-year (YoY) decrease compared to 5,206 MU.</a> The Exchange traded 426 MU of renewable energy in March 2024, an increase of 9% YoY compared to 391 MU. The green energy trade also saw a rise of 42% month-over-month compared to 298 MU traded in February 2024. The renewable energy traded during the fourth quarter of FY24 stood at 960 MU, a drop of 11.11% YoY from 1,080 MU.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ioc-floats-tender-unit-at-panipat-facility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Oil Corporation has issued a tender for a green hydrogen generation unit of 10 KTA capacity on a build-own-operate basis at its Panipat Refinery Petrochemical Complex.</a> The first hydrogen gas delivery is scheduled for 30 months from the letter of award. The last date for submitting the bid is April 22, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹54.9 million (~$658,842). Bidders can be part of a joint venture/consortium.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/renewable-projects-bogged-down-by-transmission/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renewable energy project development is surging across India, resulting in an unprecedented demand for evacuation infrastructure to connect to the grid.</a> According to a prominent renewable project developer, the evacuation infrastructure development lag stems from the rapid acceleration of connectivity applications, surpassing the infrastructure development rate. Last March, Union Minister of Power R.K. Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that the government plans to add 17,500 ckm of transmission lines and 80,000 MVA of transmission capacity across India as part of the planned national grid expansion.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/tata-invests-alsym/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston-area startup Alsym Energy has raised $78 million in new funding to increase headcount and ramp up prototyping of its non-flammable rechargeable battery technology.</a> The Series B round was led by Indian conglomerate Tata Limited and venture capital General Catalyst, with additional investment from Thrive Capital, Thomvest, and prior backer Drads Capital. The company claims its metal oxide batteries are made without lithium or cobalt. They can be used for any discharge duration between four and 110 hours and recharge in as few as four hours.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Telangana’s Green Open Access Regulations

indosol-solar

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS