MERCOM INDIA SOLAR FORUM 2021/
THURSDAY
OCTOBER 21
11:00 AM IST
Introduction to the Forum
Duration: 5 mins | 11:00 AM – 11:05 AM IST
11:05 AM IST
Solar’s Dominant Role in India’s Transition:
Market Outlook 2030
India is targeting 100 GW of solar installations by 2022 and has a longer-term target of deploying 450 GW of renewables, with Solar making up 300 GW of that goal. Cumulative solar installations stand at 43 GWs, requiring solar to be installed at a rate of approximately 28 GW a year until 2030.
”More”
These goals create an appealing long-term market as India transitions towards renewables. However, a clear roadmap is yet to be laid out, and renewable purchase obligation targets beyond 2022 are unclear. A clear roadmap with yearly milestones can make the market even more attractive to investors and ESG funds and bring hundreds of billions in new investments. The panel will discuss ways to deploy solar and the investments it will take to meet these ambitious targets.
Duration: 50 mins | 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM IST
”Less”

Suman Sharma
Managing Director
SECI

Raj Prabhu
CEO
Mercom Capital Group

Aditya Aggarwal
CEO
Global Infrastructure
Partners Singapore

Deepak Malhotra
Senior Director, Infrastructure
CDPQ
11:55 AM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 11:55 AM – 12:10 PM IST
12:10 PM IST
Moving Towards a Domestic Manufacturing
Base With Sustainable Demand
The government’s call for Make in India, the production-linked incentive plan, and duties and restrictions on imports have collectively boosted solar manufacturing in India. We have seen a flood of announcements from companies building new manufacturing capacities or scaling existing ones.
”More”
The Indian government has embarked on creating a massive manufacturing ecosystem. From polysilicon to modules, vertical integration will need billions of dollars in investment. Creating an ecosystem is just the start. Success will also depend on technology upgrades, consistency in supplies, quality, and competitive pricing. As supply increases, the government needs to ensure enough projects are auctioned every year to avoid a supply-demand imbalance.
The panel discussion will revolve around the feasibility of the domestic manufacturing initiative, market opportunity, and the plans of stakeholders to establish a market within the country, as well as export opportunities. We will speak to companies that have made their manufacturing plans known to understand their growth forecast, plans, and investments.
Duration: 50 mins | 12:10 PM – 01:00 PM IST
”Less”

Amitesh Kumar
Sinha
Joint Secretary
MNRE

Sujoy Ghosh
Vice President &
Country Managing Director
First Solar

Ramesh Nair
CEO
Adani Solar

Manjunatha D V
Managing Director
EMMVEE
01:00 PM IST
Lunch / Networking Break
Duration: 30 mins | 01:00 PM – 01:30 PM IST
01:30 PM IST
Open Access Solar – an Ideal Solution to
Reduce Carbon Footprint and Operating
Costs for C&I Entities
Commercial and industrial (C&I) customers are increasingly opting for open access solar to reduce operating costs and the carbon footprint of their facilities. Initially, the market was driven by a mandate to meet part of the energy consumption from clean sources, but now it just makes business sense to go solar.
”More”
Businesses are also driven by 100% renewable energy goals and ESG initiatives. While demand has accelerated, regulatory inconsistencies and unpredictability have proved to be the main obstacle. DISCOMs, fearing the loss of their best customers, are introducing regulatory hurdles and new charges making open access challenging, expensive, and in turn, curbing demand. The panel discussion will bring opinions from developers, consumers, facility owners, and new ideas and suggestions to make open access favorable to all.
Duration: 50 mins | 01:30 PM – 02:20 PM IST
”Less”

Naveen Vunnam
CEO
Ilios Power

Johnny N Christo
Regional Manager – Energy
& Utilities
GSC, Intel

Sarathi Ghosh
Divisional Manager,
Center of Excellence – RE
ITC LIMITED

Sindhu Sharma
Lead – Energy Management
Nxtra by Airtel
02:20 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 02:20 PM – 02:35 PM IST
02:35 PM IST
Rooftop Solar – Demand is Up Despite
Policy Restrictions
India’s solar energy deployment goals cannot be met by large-scale projects alone as land becomes a scarce commodity. Rooftop solar is an obvious choice in a country with severe transmission issues. However, rooftop solar is mired in regulatory and policy gridlock.
”More”
Net metering, gross metering, net billing… regulations are inconsistent and can be interpreted different ways by state entities. While the rules are made at the center, states are reluctant to implement them as they fear losing customers.
The segment has crossed the hurdle of creating awareness, and the demand, especially in the C&I segment, is high, and the costs are down. But regulatory hurdles are plaguing the segment. Stakeholders and regulators will share their thoughts and recommendations to create a path for rooftop solar and a way forward to meet the demand for consumers wanting to go green.
Duration: 50 mins | 02:35 PM – 03:25 PM IST
”Less”

Ravinder Singh
Chief – Solar
Rooftop Business
Tata Power

Honey Raza
Head – Sales India
Ginlong Technologies

J J Gandhi
Chief Engineer (Technical)
PGVCL

Lakshminarayanan Sankaran
Vice President – E&M
Bangalore International
Airport Limited
03:25 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 03:25 PM – 03:40 PM IST
03:40 PM IST
Session Partner
Large-Scale Project Development –
Growth Strategies for an Evolving Market
Large-scale projects largely drive the solar sector in India. The pandemic has added to the difficulties for developers with rising component prices, supply chain disruptions, infrastructure, and regulatory bottlenecks. With the government’s push to procure domestically manufactured components, developers face the added challenge of procuring a large capacity of the latest technology modules at competitive rates.
”More”
On the demand side, tender and auction activity has dipped lately, along with a growing backlog of unsigned power sale agreements. For developers, there are not enough projects right now to build and scale. With investor appetite growing, the expectation is for SECI to roll out auctions quickly and consistently to meet the government targets of 100 GW by 2022 and 300 GW by 2030. The discussion will tackle both supply and demand challenges and strategies for growth. Experts will discuss their experiences and provide solutions to wade through these challenges.
Duration: 50 mins | 03:40 PM – 04:30 PM IST
”Less”

Dilip Nigam
Adviser
MNRE

Rajesh Shrivastava
Chief Operating Officer
Adani Renewables

Ashish Upadhyay
Chief Operating Officer
Belectric Photovoltaic India

Manu Srivastava
Principal Secretary (Former)
New & Renewable Energy
Department –
Govt of Madhya Pradesh
04:30 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 04:30 PM – 04:45 PM IST
04:45 PM IST
Session Partner
A Look at India’s Solar Supply
Chain and Sourcing Strategies
The production-linked incentive program by the government of India has spurred investments into the vertical integration of module manufacturing. From polysilicon to module manufacturing, the maximum incentive is for companies offering to integrate fully. There are also a large number of new module capacities along with an expansion of existing capacity in the works.
”More”
From solar glass to EVA back sheets, how are companies planning to source raw materials, manage the supply chain, and sudden increase in demand? Panelists will discuss details of their strategies and ideas to overcome challenges.
Developers will bring their perspective on purchasing strategies based on product availability, technology, quality, and price.
Duration: 50 mins | 04:45 PM – 05:35 PM IST
”Less”

Gaurav Sood
CEO
Sprng Energy

Ritudhwaj Singh
Country Manager, India
Targray

Pradeep Kumar M
Managing Director
India & Sri Lanka Business
LONGi

Rahul Khatri
Sales and Business Development
Leader – South Asia
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions
THURSDAY
OCTOBER 21
11:00 AM IST
Introduction to the Forum
Duration: 5 mins | 11:00 AM – 11:05 AM IST
11:05 AM IST
Solar’s Dominant Role in India’s Transition:
Market Outlook 2030
India is targeting 100 GW of solar installations by 2022 and has a longer-term target of deploying 450 GW of renewables, with Solar making up 280 GW of that goal. Cumulative solar installations stand at 43 GWs, requiring solar to be installed at a rate of approximately 26 GW a year until 2030.
”More”
These goals create an appealing long-term market as India transitions towards renewables. However, a clear roadmap is yet to be laid out, and renewable purchase obligation targets beyond 2022 are unclear. A clear roadmap with yearly milestones can make the market even more attractive to investors and ESG funds and bring hundreds of billions in new investments. The panel will discuss ways to deploy solar and the investments it will take to meet these ambitious targets.
Duration: 50 mins | 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM IST
”Less”

Suman Sharma
Managing Director
SECI

Raj Prabhu
CEO
Mercom Capital Group

Aditya Aggarwal
CEO
Global Infrastructure
Partners Singapore

Deepak Malhotra
Senior Director,
Infrastructure
CDPQ
11:55 AM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 11:55 AM – 12:10 PM IST
12:10 PM IST
Moving Towards a Domestic Manufacturing
Base With Sustainable Demand
The government’s call for Make in India, the production-linked incentive plan, and duties and restrictions on imports have collectively boosted solar manufacturing in India. We have seen a flood of announcements from companies building new manufacturing capacities or scaling existing ones.
”More”
The Indian government has embarked on creating a massive manufacturing ecosystem. From polysilicon to modules, vertical integration will need billions of dollars in investment. Creating an ecosystem is just the start. Success will also depend on technology upgrades, consistency in supplies, quality, and competitive pricing. As supply increases, the government needs to ensure enough projects are auctioned every year to avoid a supply-demand imbalance.
The panel discussion will revolve around the feasibility of the domestic manufacturing initiative, market opportunity, and the plans of stakeholders to establish a market within the country, as well as export opportunities. We will speak to companies that have made their manufacturing plans known to understand their growth forecast, plans, and investments.
Duration: 50 mins | 12:10 PM – 01:00 PM IST
”Less”

Amitesh Kumar
Sinha
Joint Secretary
MNRE

Sujoy Ghosh
Vice President &
Country Managing Director
First Solar

Ramesh Nair
CEO
Adani Solar

Manjunatha D V
Managing Director
EMMVEE
01:00 PM IST
Lunch / Networking Break
Duration: 30 mins | 01:00 PM – 01:30 PM IST
01:30 PM IST
Open Access Solar – an Ideal Solution to
Reduce Carbon Footprint and Operating
Costs for C&I Entities
Commercial and industrial (C&I) customers are increasingly opting for open access solar to reduce operating costs and the carbon footprint of their facilities. Initially, the market was driven by a mandate to meet part of the energy consumption from clean sources, but now it just makes business sense to go solar.
”More”
Businesses are also driven by 100% renewable energy goals and ESG initiatives. While demand has accelerated, regulatory inconsistencies and unpredictability have proved to be the main obstacle. DISCOMs, fearing the loss of their best customers, are introducing regulatory hurdles and new charges making open access challenging, expensive, and in turn, curbing demand. The panel discussion will bring opinions from developers, consumers, facility owners, and new ideas and suggestions to make open access favorable to all.
Duration: 50 mins | 01:30 PM – 02:20 PM IST
”Less”

Naveen Vunnam
CEO
Ilios Power

Johnny N Christo
Regional Manager – Energy
& Utilities
GSC, Intel

Sarathi Ghosh
Divisional Manager,
Center of Excellence – RE
ITC LIMITED

Sindhu Sharma
Lead – Energy Management
Nxtra by Airtel
02:20 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 02:20 PM – 02:35 PM IST
02:35 PM IST
Rooftop Solar – Demand is Up Despite
Policy Restrictions
India’s solar energy deployment goals cannot be met by large-scale projects alone as land becomes a scarce commodity. Rooftop solar is an obvious choice in a country with severe transmission issues. However, rooftop solar is mired in regulatory and policy gridlock. Net metering, gross metering, net billing… regulations are inconsistent and can be interpreted different ways by state entities. While the rules are made at the center, states are reluctant to implement them as they fear losing customers.
”More”
The segment has crossed the hurdle of creating awareness, and the demand, especially in the C&I segment, is high, and the costs are down. But regulatory hurdles are plaguing the segment. Stakeholders and regulators will share their thoughts and recommendations to create a path for rooftop solar and a way forward to meet the demand for consumers wanting to go green.
Duration: 50 mins | 02:35 PM – 03:25 PM IST
”Less”

Ravinder Singh
Chief – Solar
Rooftop Business
Tata Power

Honey Raza
Head – Sales India
Ginlong Technologies

J J Gandhi
Chief Engineer (Technical)
PGVCL

Lakshminarayanan Sankaran
Vice President – E&M
Bangalore International
Airport Limited
03:25 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 03:25 PM – 03:40 PM IST
03:40 PM IST
Session Partner
Large-Scale Project Development –
Growth Strategies for an Evolving Market
Large-scale projects largely drive the solar sector in India. The pandemic has added to the difficulties for developers with rising component prices, supply chain disruptions, infrastructure, and regulatory bottlenecks. With the government’s push to procure domestically manufactured components, developers face the added challenge of procuring a large capacity of the latest technology modules at competitive rates.
”More”
On the demand side, tender and auction activity has dipped lately, along with a growing backlog of unsigned power sale agreements. For developers, there are not enough projects right now to build and scale. With investor appetite growing, the expectation is for SECI to roll out auctions quickly and consistently to meet the government targets of 100 GW by 2022 and 280 GW by 2030. The discussion will tackle both supply and demand challenges and strategies for growth. Experts will discuss their experiences and provide solutions to wade through these challenges.
Duration: 50 mins | 03:40 PM – 04:30 PM IST
”Less”

Dilip Nigam
Adviser
Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy

Rajesh Shrivastava
Chief Operating Officer
Adani Renewables

Ashish Upadhyay
Chief Operating Officer
Belectric Photovoltaic India

Manu Srivastava
Principal Secretary (Former)
New & Renewable Energy
Department –
Govt of Madhya Pradesh
04:30 PM IST
Networking Break
Duration: 15 mins | 04:30 PM – 04:45 PM IST
04:45 PM IST
Session Partner
A Look at India’s Solar Supply
Chain and Sourcing Strategies
The production-linked incentive program by the government of India has spurred investments into the vertical integration of module manufacturing. From polysilicon to module manufacturing, the maximum incentive is for companies offering to integrate fully. There are also a large number of new module capacities along with an expansion of existing capacity in the works.
”More”
From solar glass to EVA back sheets, how are companies planning to source raw materials, manage the supply chain, and sudden increase in demand? Panelists will discuss details of their strategies and ideas to overcome challenges.
Developers will bring their perspective on purchasing strategies based on product availability, technology, quality, and price.
Duration: 50 mins | 04:45 PM – 05:35 PM IST
”Less”

Gaurav Sood
CEO
Sprng Energy

Ritudhwaj Singh
Country Manager, India
Targray

Pradeep Kumar M
Managing Director
India & Sri Lanka Business
LONGi

Rahul Khatri
Sales and Business Development
Leader – South Asia
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions