Solar tender issuance in India fell sharply in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. According to Mercom India Research, just 6.5 GW of solar tenders were announced—down 53.8% quarter-over-quarter from 14.1 GW, and 65.1% lower than the 18.7 GW issued in the same quarter last year.

Auction activity followed the same trend. Only 1.6 GW of utility-scale solar projects were auctioned in the quarter, a steep 74.1% drop from 6.4 GW in Q1 2025 and a 75.2% decline compared to Q2 2024.

The lack of firm and dispatchable renewable energy tenders contributed to this sharp fall in tendered capacity. More importantly, the backlog of unsigned power purchase and power sale agreements severely impacted both tendering and auction momentum.

Top Tendering Agencies

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) accounted for 52.1% of the tenders announced in Q2 2025, a 562% increase from 513 MW in Q1 2025. Coal India (CIL) represented 15.3% of tenders, followed by NTPC Renewable Energy (8.4%) and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) (8%). All other government agencies accounted for 16.5% of the tender activity.
The top five agencies accounted for over 87% of the utility-scale solar projects tendered in the quarter.

Major Tenders in Q2 2025 

SECI issued a request for selection to set up a 2,000 MW interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected solar projects along with 1,000 MW/4,000 MWh energy storage.

It invited bids to set up 1,200 MW ISTS-connected solar projects integrated with a 600 MW/ 3,600 MWh energy storage system.

CIL invited bids to set up a 1,000 MW ground-mounted solar project in Rajasthan.

GUVNL issued a request for selection for procuring power from 500 MW solar projects on a build, own, operate basis (GUVNL Phase-XXVII). The tender includes a greenshoe option for an additional capacity of up to 500 MW without energy storage.

Major Auctions in Q2 2025

SAEL Industries, Jindal India Renewable Energy, Sembcorp Green, JBM Renewables, Fastnote Biofuels (Hindustan Power), and Reliance NU Energies won SJVN’s auction to develop 1,200 MW ISTS-connected solar power projects with 600 MW/2,400 MWh energy storage systems.

Rays Power Infra and Hetvi Construction won the Assam Power Distribution Company’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) auction to set up 250 MW of solar projects in Karbi Anglong, Assam.

Solar EPC firm SEPC won the contract for 133 MW solar projects under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan from MSEB Solar Agro Power in Maharashtra.

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