Sanjay Pasari - India is Ready to Produce Solar Panels

Solar energy is renewable energy, which is leading India’s journey towards Clean Energy Transition to achieve Net Zero Emissions and be Energy Independent Nation by 2070. Sanjay Pasari thinks that India can lead the world in producing solar panels and harnessing solar energy.   

In India, there are already more than 40 major solar power plants that produce at least 10 MW of electricity. The largest solar power park in the world is located in India's Bhadla Rajasthan and covers more than 14,000 acres or roughly twice the size of Chicago O'Hare Airport. Additionally, Ramagundam in Telangana currently has the largest floating solar plant in India that is fully operating. The country has 67.82 GWAC of installed solar power as of May 31, 2023. In 2021, India's use of solar energy ranks fourth worldwide.  

India's capacity to generate solar modules is expected to reach 110 gigawatts (GW) and be self-sufficient by 2026, posing a challenge to China's monopoly of the PV market. China now accounts for over 70% of the world's solar module production, up from about 50% in 2010. A decline in Chinese output would affect the entire world. Several legislative steps have been implemented by India, the US, and Europe to reduce reliance on China and promote domestic production.  

The Indian government introduced tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers in 2018, supporting the Indian PV industry with a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. By 2023, the capacity for PV cells and modules doubled to 6.6GW and 38GW, despite operating at 50-60% capacity.  

In addition to achieving its self-sufficiency goal of 110 GW by 2026, the IEEFA anticipates that India will also have "a significant presence in all aspects of PV manufacturing, including cells, ingots/wafers, and polysilicon."  

The Indian regulatory environment supports domestic solar panel production, addressing the competence gap and increasing solar demand. However, imports of advanced raw materials and technical products will be necessary. Developing downstream infrastructure will enable India to reduce solar panel costs and boost R&D activities, reducing dependence on imports.  

This shows India’s capability in Solar Energy. The government is putting renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, thermal, and hydro in the focus considering the promising sustainable future of India. The growth of the solar industry in India is witnessing the country’s capabilities in producing solar panels.   

Many renowned private entities such as Adani Power, Reliance, TATA, and others are also working in the direction of solar and other forms of renewable energy. According to Mercom Capital, India's capacity to produce solar modules is anticipated to reach 95 GW by the end of 2025. As a result, the information above clearly illustrates India's ability to produce solar panels.