The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has clarified the applicability of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers List?II for solar photovoltaic cells across multiple project categories, setting out when the cell requirement will apply and where exemptions remain. The guidance addresses competitively bid projects, net?metering and open?access installations, rooftop solar on government buildings, behind?the?meter systems and projects governed by Domestic Content Requirement provisions.

Projects awarded through competitive bidding will remain exempt from mandatory use of ALMM List?II cells where the bid submission deadline was on or before August 31, 2025 and the bids were live as of July 28, 2025. Tenders issued between December 9, 2024 and July 28, 2025 that explicitly required List?II cells will continue to be governed by those contractual conditions, while projects tendered after August 31, 2025 will be required to comply with List?II.

Net?metering and open?access projects commissioned on or before December 31, 2026 will be exempt from the List?II cell requirement and developers need not apply through the NISE Solar DCR Portal to claim that exemption. ALMM List?I requirements for modules will continue to apply where relevant. The ministry clarified that net metering covers gross metering, net billing, net feed?in, virtual net metering and group net metering, excluding behind?the?meter projects.

For rooftop solar on government buildings the exemptions depend on bid?submission dates: projects with deadlines on or before December 9, 2024 remain exempt, tenders between December 9, 2024 and July 28, 2025 follow their bid documents, and projects tendered between July 28 and August 31, 2025 are also treated as exempt. Government rooftop projects not awarded through competitive bidding will remain exempt if commissioned on or before December 31, 2026 but must comply thereafter.

Behind?the?meter captive solar plants developed by private consumers or groups are not subject to ALMM List?I or List?II, though this exemption does not extend to government entities or public?sector enterprises. Projects developed by government entities and public?sector enterprises and commissioned by December 31, 2026 must use ALMM?listed modules but are exempt from the cell requirement; projects commissioned after that date must use both modules and cells. The ministry emphasised that Domestic Content Requirement obligations continue to be governed by scheme guidelines.