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					</table>Solar module manufacturers stressed the importance of increasing solar cell capacity to meet the growing domestic demand at the recent <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/buyer-seller-meet-2025-pune" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RE Buyer Seller Meet</a> hosted by Mercom India in Pune.
Representatives from <a href="https://www.adanisolar.com/product" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adani Solar</a> and <a href="https://swelectes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swelect Energy</a> participated in the discussion.
Kabir Bakshi, Territory Manager, Adani Solar, said, “The domestic content requirement (DCR) module capacities are limited in the country. We are trying to increase the DCR capacity, but the demand increases as we increase the supply. Last year, one million homes were solarized under PM Surya Ghar, and this financial year, the government has set a target of three million homes.”
He noted that India’s solar cell manufacturers are rushing to meet the demand.
Bakshi said that the demand for solar cells would be 9 GW for an average 3 kW rooftop solar system with a target of 3 million homes.
He added that India has a module manufacturing capacity of nearly 90 GW for an annual demand of 30 GW.
“We should be focusing on backward integration. In the race to increase module manufacturing, backward integration is neglected. The need of the hour is to go back and develop infrastructure for ethylene vinyl acetate backsheets, solar glass, and junction boxes. Only 30% to 40% of these components are domestically produced, and the rest are imported,” said Bakshi.
He said Adani Solar is ramping module backward integration to 10 GW to reduce costs and improve product quality.
Demand Segment
Bakshi said modules comprise 50% to 55% of all solar project costs.
Most of the supply and demand for Adani Solar comes from PM Surya Ghar Yojana, followed by the Commercial and Industrial (C&amp;I) segment and utility-scale solar projects.
“The residential sector is booming with awareness from the government side. The C&amp;I sector remains one of the primary drivers in the rooftop solar segment. There is high demand for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) A and B programs. The Maharashtra government has floated 8 GW to 9 GW tenders under KUSUM. There is also evergreen demand from solar parks and open access power projects,” said Bakshi.
He noted that grid connectivity issues and component shortages are impacting solar project development.
Manish Relan, Assistant Vice President of Sales, Swelect Energy, concurred that the company is experiencing demand from C&amp;I and utility-scale projects. He said demand in the C&amp;I sector is very high to mitigate high energy costs.
Module Shortages
Bakshi said that Adani Solar has been incurring module shortages since February.
Adani Solar has a completely DCR-compliant 4 GW solar cell and a 4 GW solar module line. The solar cell line comprises 2 GW monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear cells (PERC) and 2 GW tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells.
“We are in the phase of establishing a 6 GW TOPCon module line, which is expected to be commissioned in nine to ten months. Parallelly, we are also planning a 6 GW TOPCon cell manufacturing plant,” said Bakshi.
He added that Adani Solar plans to commission nearly 10 GW of solar cell and module capacity within a year and a half.
Relan said Swelect Energy is shifting its focus from P-type to N-type modules.
He added that the company has a 1 GW capacity for N-type modules and plans to expand it by 1 GW by the end of November or December 2025. The company also plans to establish a 500 MW cell manufacturing plant by the next financial year.
Relan also stated that Swelect Energy is producing DCR-compliant modules but finds it challenging to source DCR cells. The company is setting up regional warehouses in India to reduce supply constraints for these modules.
Evolution of Module Technology
Bakshi noted that the C&amp;I sector is increasingly opting for bifacial modules for better generation efficiency. “Even a 1% increase in efficiency and lower degradation has resulted in wider acceptance of TOPCon modules.”
Consumers will be ready to opt for newer technologies if a solar project’s payback period is reduced to two and a half years.
Relan supported the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to advance solar module technology.
“It (AI) will help solar module manufacturers optimize their design, manufacturing processes, and module performance. The Internet of Things and 5G rollout will allow us to monitor solar modules remotely. There are also a lot of advancements in material science, and new polymers are coming up. It would lead to lighter modules and assemblies,” said Relan.
The next buyer-seller meet will be held in Coimbatore on June 12, 2025. You can register <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/buyer-seller-meet-2025-coimbatore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="mailto:sales@mercomindia.com?subject=Seeking%20Solar%20Installation%20Guidance%20and%20Vendor%20Recommendations%20for%20Business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact us</a> if you plan to install solar and need guidance or vendor recommendations.

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					</table>As rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana reach 1 million nationwide, concerns have <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/quality-issues-surface-in-rooftop-solar-systems-under-pm-surya-ghar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arisen</a> about the lack of quality checks for the components and the absence of standardization. Several new installers with little or no experience have entered the rooftop solar market to cash in on the increasing consumer demand. Industry insiders say the quality of the installations is being compromised in a rush to meet targets in some states.
A two-year extension of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/two-year-extension-of-distribution-sector-reforms-program-on-the-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aimed</a> at bringing operational efficiencies and financial discipline to India’s power distribution sector is on the cards. The Ministry of Power has told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy that the ₹3.3 trillion (~$40.35 billion) program, which was to end in the financial year (FY) 2026, needs an extension until FY 2028. “As per our current implementation status, a lot of work remains to be done, especially in the case of smart meters. This will approximately take two years,” MoP told the committee.
NHPC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/nhpc-floats-tender-for-2-56-mw-rooftop-solar-projects-in-nagaland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids for setting up 2.56 MW rooftop solar projects on government buildings in Nagaland under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The last date to submit bids is April 21, 2025. Bids will be opened on April 23. Bids will be opened on April 23. The scope of work involves design, engineering, supply of equipment and materials, erection, testing, and project commissioning. It also involves operation and maintenance for 25 years. Successful bidders must obtain net metering and provide grid connectivity for the project.
Fourteen interstate transmission system projects are <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/right-of-way-issues-hit-14-interstate-transmission-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing</a> prolonged right-of-way (RoW) issues, mainly because of the demand for higher compensation compared to rates determined by state governments. Other reasons for transmission project challenges include delays in forest clearances, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik told the Rajya Sabha. Eight of the 14 projects facing delays due to RoW issues are being implemented by POWERGRID, and six by private companies Adani, Sterlite, Tata Power, and ReNew. These projects are spread across several states. To address the demand for higher compensation, the Ministry of Power revised the guidelines for payment of RoW compensation for laying transmission lines in June 2024.
A snacks manufacturer in Haryana <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/potato-chips-maker-shyam-snacks-halves-energy-bills-with-rooftop-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrated</a> how installing a rooftop solar system can yield savings on electricity bills. The company is so impressed with the experience that it has gone for the fourth phase of its rooftop solar project. Hisar-headquartered Shyam Snacks Food (Shyam-G Snacks) has expanded the capacity of its rooftop solar system to 2.2 MW over four phases with the help of ARM Green Energy. The company, which makes roasted and fried potato chips in various flavors, has an annual energy requirement of 6 million units (MU). Its rooftop solar system now provides approximately 3 MU, meeting 50% of its total energy needs.
Solar power systems company SWELECT Group <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/swelect-raises-%E2%82%B92-9-billion-through-private-placement-with-india-infradebt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured</a> ₹2.9 billion (~$33.39 million) in funding through non-convertible debentures via a private placement with India Infradebt. This initiative, backed by a portion of its solar power assets, has released ₹2.6 billion (~$29.94 million) in cash collaterals. The funds will be reinvested to expand SWELECT’s independent power producer portfolio to 1 GW by 2026-2027. SWELECT Energy Systems, the solar module manufacturing vertical, also secured orders over 150 MW for its TOPCon bi-facial solar modules.
When Masdar, the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/the-middle-easts-green-finance-boom-hype-or-real-transformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> its $750 million green bond in mid-2023, the response was overwhelming. Investors scrambled to get in, oversubscribing the issuance nearly six times. A similar story played out a year earlier with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, whose $1 billion green bond was met with equal enthusiasm. The message from capital markets was clear: sustainability sells, even in the oil heartland of the Middle East.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Quality Issues Surface in PM Surya Ghar Installations

<a href="https://www.swelectes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Swelect Energy Systems Limited</a>, a solar photovoltaic module manufacturing company, has resumed operations at its unit in Bangalore with effect from April 25, 2020.
Given the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown announced by the government, the company had closed the operation of its units at Bangalore and Salem from March 24, 2020.
According to the company’s <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BSE</a> (formerly known as the Bombay Stock Exchange) filing, the company had issued a letter on March 25, 2020, about the closure of the operation of its facilities located in Bangalore and Salem following the lockdown.
The company states that to execute a project for the Airport Authority of India (AAI), it later requested the office of the Department of Industries Center (DIC) to permit it to run their facility with a skeletal staff as per the Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidelines.
“As per the directions issued by the joint director, Department of Industries Center, Bangalore, the company has been permitted to resume its operation after following the guidelines issued by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic,” states the company.
Similarly, <a href="https://www.inoxwind.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inox Wind Limited</a> has also resumed operations at three of its manufacturing units located at Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Barwani (Madhya Pradesh), and Una (Himachal Pradesh).
According to the company’s BSE filing, Inox resumed operations in three of its manufacturing projects after obtaining the required permission from the concerned district administrations.
The company states that operations resumed in these three facilities in compliance with all the safety guidelines and directives issued by the central and state governments, and local administration to safeguard the employees, laborers, and all other stakeholders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On March 26, 2020, Inox Wind had issued a letter informing the temporary suspension of the operations at its three manufacturing units.
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs <a href="https://mercomindia.com/lockdown-renewable-projects-construction-resume/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> its revised guidelines allowing selected additional activities to keep the wheels of the economy turning. The new guidelines came into effect from April 20, 2020. According to the MHA, construction works, including that of renewable energy projects, were to be allowed from April 20, 2020.
In March 2020, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/transmission-employees-working-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercom</a> reported that the <a href="https://powermin.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ministry of Power</a> requested the administrations of all states and union territories to allow staff and vendors of power generation and transmission units to perform their duties. The Ministry had stated that considering the present scenario, there’s a need to ensure the availability and continuity of the transmission network for the smooth flow of power generation.
Earlier, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/staff-renewable-allowed-work-covid-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">requested</a> that the renewable generating stations’ staff and associated workforce should be allowed to move, and the movement of material should be allowed at such sites or substations, and transmission lines with the minimum workforce. To maintain uninterrupted power supply across states, power generation (including renewable power generation) is designated as an essential service.

Manufacturing Units of Swelect Energy, Inox Wind Resume Operation Amid Lockdown

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