India's solar manufacturing sector is experiencing a groundbreaking shift, as significant investments and technological innovations drive the nation toward a prominent position in the global solar equipment market. TP Solar, a subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy, has recently established a plant adhering to industry 4.0 standards in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, covering an area of 317 acres. 

This advanced facility manufactures 20,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) units each day, supported by autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The facility, constructed with an investment of Rs 4,300 crore, employs cutting-edge technologies such as TopCon, mono PERC, and bifacial modules that can produce electricity from both sides for enhanced efficiency. Launched in October 2023, the solar cell production line of the plant now boasts a capacity of 4 gigawatts (GW).

This facility is part of a broader trend, as India increases its manufacturing capacity for solar equipment, which achieved a total of 77.2 GW for modules and 7.6 GW for cells by 2024. The nation's manufacturing industry has transformed quickly from merely 3 GW of solar cells and 8 GW of modules in 2017. Gujarat and Telangana serve as major centers, representing a considerable share of India's solar power capacity.

In 2024, India achieved a milestone by increasing solar module capacity by 11.3 GW and solar cell capacity by 2 GW. This expansion is driven by favorable government initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, which encourages the development of integrated solar value chains.