Kolkata-based Vikram Solar to set up a 1.3 GW solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu taking its total capacity to 2,500 MW, and becoming the biggest domestic solar panel manufacturer in the country. This would be the first solar manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The company said that the cumulative PV module manufacturing capacity of Vikram Solar will reach 2.5 Gw with this facility unit, which is currently the largest in India. Senior company executives said the Rs 200 crore would be invested in the new facility. Unlike its existing manufacturing unit, the new facility is not in the special economic zone (SEZ), which makes it suitable for the duty reliefs that the Centre has given to the domestic solar manufacturing industry. Vikram Solar’s manufacturing footprint consists of a 1.2 Gw facility in Falta, West Bengal, and a 1.3 GW new facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company has sent over 3.5 Gw PV modules globally. Managing Director, Vikram Solar, Gyanesh Chaudhary, said this is an extension of our endeavor to give reliable, high quality, technologically better products and timely delivery to our customers. Further, it will contribute as a Research and Development (R&D) platform for next-generation module technology. The company said that they have executed a digital production display board, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled inspection for zero-defect amongst various such emerging technologies. The digitisation initiatives allow seamless processes such as lean manufacturing, reducing and controlling wastages, it said. Vikram Solar is striving to be a 5 Gw manufacturing capacity company. CEO of Vikram Solar, Saibaba Vutukuri, said that the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar manufacturing would also advance capacity enhancement. The estimate of our 5 Gw capacity would stand at Rs 5,000 crore. Image Source Also read: NTPC, SolarArise emerge as winners for 450 MW solar projects in MP