India’s MNRE has started seeking stakeholder feedback on draft guidelines for the ALMM for solar cells, with plans to implement it from April 2026.
The MNRE aims to release the ALMM list for PV cells from April 1, 2026, as it expects a significant increase in installed solar capacity over the next two years. Mercom India in its recent report ‘State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 2024’ said that India’s PV cell capacity could cross 75 GW by 2026, up from 5.8 GW in December 2023.
The MNRE introduced the ALMM policy to protect the domestic solar industry from Chinese imports. The policy creates a non-tariff barrier, allowing domestic manufacturers to capture a larger market share.
The MNRE has already published the ALMM list for solar panels, which are Bureau of Indian Standards compliant and meet the ministry’s efficiency criteria. As of April 1, 2024, only modules and manufacturers on this list will be eligible for government-supported projects. The list currently includes more than 50 GW of module capacity.
Projects under the ALMM mandate must source solar panels from the ALMM list and use cells from the same list. Projects that bid prior to the issuance of this order are exempt from this requirement under the MNRE.
The deadline for submitting feedback on the draft ALMM guidelines is October 6, 2024.
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