India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently released a draft policy proposing to add solar silicon wafers to the Approved Models and Manufacturers List (ALMM) – List III from June 2028. The policy requires government-supported ALMM projects to procure related products from the designated list to promote the development of a comprehensive domestic solar industry chain. This move has received positive responses from Indian photovoltaic manufacturers, with many companies indicating they will accelerate capacity expansion.
The draft clarifies that government-supported ALMM projects must procure modules from List I manufacturers, cells from List II suppliers, and wafers from List III suppliers. The core objective of the policy is to incentivize domestic manufacturing across all stages of solar production. However, the release of the solar wafer list is contingent on meeting specific prerequisites: at least three independent manufacturers without common ownership or control must establish wafer manufacturing facilities with a combined annual capacity of 15 GW. Additionally, manufacturers included in the list must possess ingot manufacturing capabilities matching their proposed wafer capacity, ensuring that the listed wafer capacity reflects integrated ingot and wafer production.
This policy update has sparked strong reactions within India’s solar industry. Vinay Rustagi, Chief Commercial Officer of Premium Energies, described it as a much-needed and logical step toward achieving self-reliance in India’s solar manufacturing. He stated that the policy is well-considered and aligns with the government’s intentions. The company is accelerating its plans to establish 10 GW of ingot and wafer capacity within the expected timeframe to match its downstream operations. The management also believes that this policy will help build a completely non-Chinese supply chain, making Indian exports attractive to countries seeking alternative supply sources.
Amit Paithankar, CEO of Waaree Energies, also expressed optimism about the policy, viewing the proposed expansion of the ALMM framework as a clear step toward establishing end-to-end solar manufacturing leadership in India. He emphasized that the policy sets strict quality and capacity benchmarks and links module procurement to domestic wafer sourcing, which will drive genuine backward integration, promote self-reliance, and safeguard the integrity of India’s solar supply chain. Waaree Energies is prepared for this transition and is actively investing in upstream wafer and ingot capacity.
The draft also outlines detailed provisions for exemptions and procurement requirements. Projects exempted from using ALMM-listed solar cells will also be exempted from procuring wafers from ALMM-listed manufacturers. ALMM-covered projects that are bid within one month after the initial wafer list is released will be exempted from procuring wafers from List III, even if they are commissioned after June 2028. For ALMM-covered projects with bid submission deadlines after the policy takes effect, it will be mandatory to explicitly use modules, cells, and wafers from ALMM Lists I, II, and III, respectively. From the effective date, only modules using List II cells, which are produced from List III wafers, will qualify for ALMM List I.
The ALMM framework, introduced by MNRE, is a mandatory list covering solar modules and cells that have passed rigorous quality and efficiency evaluations. When first launched on April 10, 2021, it only included modules (List I) and aimed to protect consumers, promote domestic manufacturing, and ensure energy security. Due to limited domestic manufacturing capacity, the framework was suspended in March 2023 and reinstated on April 1, 2024. It was later expanded to include solar photovoltaic cells (List II), with mandatory use of approved cells planned from June 1, 2026. Currently, ALMM List II includes seven manufacturers, such as Emmvee and Premier Energies.
In recent years, India’s solar industry has developed rapidly. Earlier this year, its cumulative installed capacity exceeded 100 GW, making it the world’s fourth-largest photovoltaic market. Domestic module manufacturing capacity has also surged from 2.3 GW in 2014 to over 100 GW by August 2025. The policy to include wafers in the ALMM list is expected to further advance the localization of India’s solar industry chain and consolidate its position in the sector.
