Parliament Question: Impact of ALCM Notification on Solar Energy Projects

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 352 ANSWERED ON 12.08.2026 IMPACT OF ALCM NOTIFICATION ON SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS *352. SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that solar energy projects that are on the books and waiting for implementation are likely to be impacted by the Approved List of Cell Manufacturers (ALCM) for solar cells notified by the Government and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also a fact that solar photovoltaic module manufacturers mandatorily use solar PV cells only from those listed under the ALCM and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is also a fact that the introduction of ALCM may create several challenges for the Indian solar industry and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the notification of mandatory use of solar PV cells from ALCM has come into force without ensuring adequate domestic cell manufacturing capacity and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether it is also a fact that India's module manufacturing capacity has reached approximately 190 GW whereas domestic solar cell manufacturing capacity is only around 25 GW and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether it is also a fact that India's annual solar installation requirement is estimated at about 50 GW and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY, CONSUMER AFFAIRS & FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION AND EDUCATION.

(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a) to (f) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (f) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 352 to be answered on 12.08.2026 regarding ‘Impact of ALCM Notification on Solar Energy Projects’

(a) & (b) On 09.12.2024, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) had issued the framework for implementation of Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and as per various clarifications/ amendments issued thereto, certain specified projects are mandated to use solar PV modules from ALMM List-I (for solar PV modules) and solar PV cells from ALMM List-II (for solar PV cells) as per the terms and conditions specified in this regard by MNRE, which are broadly summarised as follows:

(i) For projects awarded through bidding, if last date of bid submission is on or before the cut- off date of 31.08.2025 (the date falling after one month of the publication of initial ALMM List-II dated 31.07.2025), the projects are exempt from ALMM List-II (for solar cells), else not. The applicability of this provision is to bids which were live as on 28.07.2025. However, if the bid conditions in tenders where the last date of bid submission was between 09.12.2024 (the date of issuance of MNRE’s Office Memorandum No. 283/59/2024-GRID SOLAR dated

09.12.2024 for implementation of ALMM for solar PV cells) and 28.07.2025 (the date of amendment to MNRE’s aforesaid Office Memorandum dated 09.12.2024, vide MNRE’s Office Memorandum No. 283/59/2024-GRID SOLAR dated 28.07.2025), provided for usage of solar PV cells from ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, such conditions will remain valid.

(ii) For Net-Metering & Open Access Projects, if commissioned by 31.12.2026, the projects are exempt from ALMM List-II for solar cells, else not.

On 18.07.2026, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has granted additional seven months’ time-extension beyond 31.05.2026, till 31.12.2026, to Net-Metering / Open Access renewable power projects, for commissioning with exemption from ALMM List-II for solar PV cells.

Further, the projects which are awarded through bidding, were already covered under ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, subject to specified conditions, even much prior to the aforesaid extension and bidders for such projects would have duly taken into account the provisions regarding compliance to ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, while submitting their bids for such projects.

Thus, sufficient advance notice period has been provided in respect of implementation of ALMM List-II for solar PV cells to avoid any challenges to projects under implementation.

Further, the Government has not issued any blanket order mandating that solar photovoltaic module manufacturers mandatorily use solar PV cells only from those listed under ALMM List-II.

(c) Overall policy for implementation of ALMM List-II for solar PV cells has been designed keeping in view the overall interest of the solar sector and after duly taking into consideration the interests of various stakeholders within the solar sector including solar power developers, solar PV module manufacturers, solar cell manufacturers, Net-Metering/Open Access renewable power project developers, etc. and aims at overall long-term benefit of the Indian solar industry, while overcoming short-term challenges, if any.

(d) Projects availing Central Financial Assistance (CFA) under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and components B & C of PM-KUSUM Scheme were already mandated to use domestically manufactured solar PV modules and cells. Hence these were already included inthe past demand projections. Further, not all projects, which get commissioned after

31.12.2026, are mandated to use solar PV cells from ALMM List-II, with projects having exemption from ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, including the following: i. Projects with last date of bid submission on or prior to 09.12.2024, are already exempt from ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, thereby creating a market for solar PV modules which are in ALMM List-I (for solar PV modules) but do not use solar PV cells from ALMM List-II (for solar PV cells) ii. Residential rooftop solar projects under ‘Give-it-U p’ category of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, opting for giving up Central Financial Assistance (CFA) under the scheme, have also been exempted from ALMM List-II (for solar PV cells) till the end of the scheme, i.e. 31st March 2027, subject to the condition that such applications are

made mandatorily through PMSG:MBY National Portal only. iii. Private Behind-The-Meter solar power plants solely used for captive consumption by a consumer or group of consumers, subject to specified conditions, are already exempt from both ALMM List-I (for solar PV modules) as well as ALMM List-II (for solar PV cells).

(e) As of 07.08.2026, the installed solar PV module manufacturing capacity in India, as enlisted in ALMM List-I for solar PV modules, is around 213 GW and the installed solar PV cell manufacturing capacity in India, as enlisted in ALMM List-II for solar PV cells, is around 32 GW.

(f) The capacity addition for solar power in India in FY 2025-26 was around 45 GW. The actual requirement / demand may be somewhat higher than this on account of DC overloading undertaken for some utility scale solar power projects.

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