Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company and microinverter supplier, opened its first Indian research and development (R&D) center in Bangalore, Karnataka, on December 3, 2017.

“I am pleased to announce our first R&D center in India, which is an important part of our overall global strategy,” said Badri Kothandaraman, president and chief executive officer of Enphase.

According to Enphase, India is powering the growth of solar with its ambitious targets for clean energy and the country is expected to be ranked as the world’s third-largest solar market in 2017. Enphase plans to support this rapid growth with its Bangalore R&D center, where it will offer employment opportunities for engineering, operations, marketing, sales, and customer support personnel to meet the needs of its customers worldwide.

“The abundant engineering and technology talent in India not only fits well with Enphase’s core of product innovation, but also helps us in operational excellence to achieve our 30-20-10 financial operating model. We are bullish about the region’s growth potential due to its ever-increasing demand for clean energy, and look forward to working with our customers, partners and module manufacturers to deliver innovative solutions,” said Kothandaraman.

“This strategic expansion in India is very exciting for Enphase,” said Sunil Thamaran, vice president and managing director of Enphase India. “We are pleased to be developing a highly skilled team that will span Enphase’s end-to-end operations, supporting both the growing local and worldwide demand for our products, services, and customer support,” added Thamaran.

With this move the company has firmed up its plans for expanding into the Indian market. This is the second major investment by Enphase in India. In August 2017, Enphase made its first investment when it established offices in Chennai. A month later, in September 2017, Enphase formed a partnership with Waaree Energies, an Indian module manufacturer and an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor to develop AC solar modules for the Indian market.

Recently, Enphase partner RenXSol Ecotech finished installing 2,858 Enphase microinverters at a 1 MW captive solar project in Bangalore. The installation is Enphase’s largest in the Asia-Pacific region and one of its largest globally.

Image Credit: Enphase Energy