Centre Mandates Use of India-Made Solar Cells from October

31 Jul 2025 CW Team

The order, issued on 28 July, requires public sector undertakings including NTPC, NHPC, SJVN, and SECI to revise their tender documents accordingly. These PSUs, acting as renewable energy implementing agencies (REIAs), must now include this mandate in upcoming bids to align with India’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.

This requirement will come into effect 30 days after the MNRE publishes ‘List II’—the approved list of Indian manufacturers and models of solar cells—expected by next month. Consequently, tenders floated from October 2025 onward will need to comply. However, bids finalised within 30 days of the list's publication will be exempt.

No exemption will be granted for projects under key government schemes such as PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and PM KUSUM, which already adhere to domestic content requirement (DCR) norms mandating Indian-made solar components.

The Centre believes this measure will stimulate demand for Indian solar cells and reduce reliance on imports, particularly from China. Currently, India’s annual production capacity stands at 91 GW for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules but only 27 GW for cells. Notable domestic producers include Tata Power, Adani Green Energy, and Waaree Energies.

Meanwhile, implementation delays continue to hamper the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar PV module manufacturing. Of the 130.7 GW capacity awarded under PLI, only 25.5 GW has been commissioned to date. The scheme offers incentives over five years post commissioning. As of now, 17.5 GW of module and 6 GW of cell capacity have been developed under PLI.

The accelerated mandate is expected to strengthen India’s domestic manufacturing ecosystem and ensure long-term sustainability in the renewable energy supply chain.

In a significant policy shift to bridge the gap between India’s solar module and cell manufacturing capacities, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has mandated the use of India-made solar cells in renewable energy projects starting later this year, instead of June 2026 as previously planned.The order, issued on 28 July, requires public sector undertakings including NTPC, NHPC, SJVN, and SECI to revise their tender documents accordingly. These PSUs, acting as renewable energy implementing agencies (REIAs), must now include this mandate in upcoming bids to align with India’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.This requirement will come into effect 30 days after the MNRE publishes ‘List II’—the approved list of Indian manufacturers and models of solar cells—expected by next month. Consequently, tenders floated from October 2025 onward will need to comply. However, bids finalised within 30 days of the list's publication will be exempt.No exemption will be granted for projects under key government schemes such as PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and PM KUSUM, which already adhere to domestic content requirement (DCR) norms mandating Indian-made solar components.The Centre believes this measure will stimulate demand for Indian solar cells and reduce reliance on imports, particularly from China. Currently, India’s annual production capacity stands at 91 GW for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules but only 27 GW for cells. Notable domestic producers include Tata Power, Adani Green Energy, and Waaree Energies.Meanwhile, implementation delays continue to hamper the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar PV module manufacturing. Of the 130.7 GW capacity awarded under PLI, only 25.5 GW has been commissioned to date. The scheme offers incentives over five years post commissioning. As of now, 17.5 GW of module and 6 GW of cell capacity have been developed under PLI.The accelerated mandate is expected to strengthen India’s domestic manufacturing ecosystem and ensure long-term sustainability in the renewable energy supply chain.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..