Recently, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced the addition of 23,119 MW of solar module production capacity to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). This brings the total manufacturing capacity covered under the list to 144.8 GW. Concurrently, MNRE has revised the dedicated list for solar cells and unveiled long-term plans to include silicon wafers under certification, further advancing the localization of the photovoltaic industry chain.
This capacity expansion includes two major categories: newly added enterprises and capacity upgrades for existing enterprises. The six newly included companies, such as Macwin Solar Energy (405 MW) and Eastman Green Technologies (374 MW), collectively contribute 3,947 MW of capacity. The expansion of existing enterprises is even more significant, with Waaree Energies adding 6,684 MW, Rayzon Solar adding 5,659 MW, and Goldi Sun adding 3,384 MW. Eight existing enterprises have cumulatively added a total of 19,172 MW of capacity, serving as the core driving force behind this expansion.
At the policy level, MNRE has completed revisions to the second part (List-II) of the ALMM list, which specifically addresses solar cells, raising its total capacity to 23.7 GW. Mandatory implementation requirements for this list will take effect on July 1, 2026. To ensure policy enforcement, MNRE has previously stipulated that government-supported projects must use solar cells that comply with List-II standards. It has also emphasized the cancellation of tender projects that attempt to bypass certification requirements by shortening bidding periods, thereby strengthening policy rigidity.
In terms of long-term planning, the Indian government has proposed further vertical integration of the industry chain. It plans to include domestically manufactured silicon wafers under the mandatory ALMM certification scope starting June 1, 2028, by establishing a dedicated List-III. According to the plan, projects regulated by ALMM in the future will adhere to a three-tier procurement requirement: modules must come from List-I, cells must comply with List-II standards, and silicon wafers must be sourced from List-III. Additionally, manufacturers applying for inclusion in List-III must meet the condition of having equal capacity for silicon ingots and wafers, ensuring a closed-loop localization of the industry chain.
