New Delhi-based SAEL Industries has broken ground on an integrated 5 GW TOPCon solar cell and 5 GW module manufacturing facility in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, for an initial investment of ₹82 billion (~$867.4 million).

The project will span 200 acres at Sector 8 of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority in Gautam Buddha Nagar.

The project is being developed through its wholly owned subsidiary, SAEL Solar P6.

SAEL said the facility aims to contribute to India’s domestic solar manufacturing capacity and support Uttar Pradesh’s efforts to attract clean energy manufacturing investments.

In May of this year, SAEL commissioned 600 MW of solar power projects in Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Kadapa district.

In January of this year, SAEL commissioned 800 MW of solar projects at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Gujarat.

SAEL was among the winners of the Punjab State Power Corporation’s auction to procure 500 MW of solar power from projects located anywhere in the country on a long-term basis.

Last August, SAEL’s special purpose vehicle, Sunfree Energy RJP1, commissioned a 200 MW solar power project in Jalore, Rajasthan.

India added more than 9 GW of solar cell capacity in 2025, according to Mercom India’s State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 2026 report, compared with nearly 119 GW of solar module capacity. The country’s cumulative cell capacity stood at roughly 27 GW by December 2025.

Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) allowed provisional commissioning of utility, captive, and commercial and industrial solar power projects installed before June 1, 2026, but not commissioned before that date due to reasons beyond their control. MNRE introduced List II for solar cells under the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM) in December 2024, effective June 1, 2026.

Earlier, MNRE constituted an expert committee to examine applications for time extensions to commission net metering and open access renewable energy projects beyond May 31, 2026, under the ALMM List II mandate for solar cells.

The move follows MNRE’s earlier office memorandum, which specified eligibility conditions for such projects seeking a time extension for commissioning beyond May 31, 2026, while retaining exemption from ALMM List II for solar cells.