The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has updated the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar photovoltaic modules.

The cumulative module manufacturing capacity under ALMM now stands at 64,568 MW.

The latest updates to the provisional ALMM features Insolar Limited with a capacity of 1,525 MW and Visaka Industries (ATUM Division) with a capacity of 16 MW.

Waaree Energies and Mundra Solar Energy, part of the Adani Group, have both been newly incorporated into ALMM. Together, these two entities bring an applied capacity of 11,610 MW per year.

In October, the MNRE expanded the ALMM by adding 2,079 MW of solar module capacity.

The ministry recently issued a draft amendment to the ALMM order to bring solar cells under its ambit. The mandate for solar cells will be operational by June 2026.

The inclusion of solar cells in ALMM addresses the growing domestic production capacity.

In another update earlier in the year, MNRE revised the guidelines for the inspection and final enlistment of provisionally listed manufacturers. According to the new rules, the final enlistment must be completed within two months of the application.

The ALMM requires all listed modules to comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards and meet specified minimum efficiency criteria. Silicon-based utility-scale modules must have at least 20% efficiency, while cadmium telluride thin-film modules must achieve a minimum of 19% efficiency.

According to Mercom’s State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 1H 2024 Report, India added 11.3 GW of solar modules and 2 GW of cell manufacturing capacity in the first six months of 2024. The capacity additions were driven by the reinstatement of the ALMM mandate in April this year and a robust solar project pipeline of 132.7 GW planned until 2026. The ALMM mandate was suspended for a year.