India's Solar Cell Manufacturing To Rise Five-Fold By March 2025

A top official predicted that India's domestic solar cell-making capacity would rise in the coming months. According to Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Renewable Energy Secretary, the country's domestic production capability for solar cells is expected to increase in the near future as it seeks to lessen its reliance on China for components imported to manufacture solar panels.

In a recent interview, Bhalla revealed that India's cell capacity is expected to increase fivefold to about 30 gigawatts per year by March 2025. This should enable the government relax import restrictions in order to encourage local use of solar power hardware.

This will also be a significant step in increasing the sector's self-sufficiency, which has been a top priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To help minimize reliance on Chinese imports, the country has imposed fees on specific solar components and established an approved list of models and producers. To maintain track on the flood of goods from overseas, India has effectively imposed a non-tariff trade barrier.

Notably, officials from the United States and Europe have expressed fear that Chinese solar firms' surplus supply will overwhelm global demand. They observed that this is seriously affecting their local supply networks. Last month, US President Joe Biden's administration implemented laws aimed at increasing taxes on Chinese solar equipment.