India Sets 2028 Goal for ‘Swadeshi Solar Cells,’ Expanding into Wafer, Ingot Production: Joshi

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Pralhad Joshi has announced that India is firmly moving towards building a complete Swadeshi solar value chain, with the target of achieving indigenous solar cell manufacturing by 2028. Speaking at the MNRE’s State Review Meeting on Renewable Energy, the Minister said that the country is now advancing beyond modules to develop domestic capacity for wafers and ingots as well, ensuring that the entire solar manufacturing ecosystem is established within India. Current solar cell manufacturing capacity has crossed 30 GW according to industry sources. 

Stating the potential impact of this move, the Minister said that this step will not only reduce import dependence but also generate employment, boost investment, and strengthen India’s position as a global leader in clean energy manufacturing.  He highlighted that India has crossed 251.5 GW of non-fossil capacity on date. 

Progress Under PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM

Highlighting the development under key government schemes for solar, the Minister said that nearly 20 lakh households have already benefited under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. For further growth in under these schemes, he urged states and DISCOMs to ensure strict quality compliance, finalise agreements without delay, and offer the best possible tariff credits to consumers.

On PM-KUSUM, he noted that after initial reluctance, the scheme has now gained strong momentum across states, with demand for additional allocations from Chief Ministers. He announced that the second phase of PM-KUSUM will be launched after the present phase ends in March 2026.

On the issue of free electricity, Joshi observed that benefits must be delivered in a financially sustainable way. He pointed out that nearly half the beneficiaries under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana are receiving zero electricity bills, demonstrating a model that combines relief for citizens with long-term sustainability.

Strengthening RE Growth & Ease of Doing Business

Speaking at the occasion, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik said that the PM-KUSUM Scheme has been a true game-changer for our farmers. "Out of the 49 lakh solar pumps allocated, over 16 lakh have already been installed or solarised. In PMSGY, installations are happening at the rate of 4,500 systems per day, supported by over 18,000 vendors nationwide," he added.  

Secretary, MNRE, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, said that India’s green energy transition is vital for achieving net zero by 2070, with targets of 1,800 GW of renewable capacity by 2047 and 5,000 GW by 2070. He highlighted successful state practices such as Maharashtra’s PM-KUSUM implementation, Gujarat’s renewable clusters, and Karnataka’s land facilitation

Minister Urges States To Expedite RPOs, PPAs, & Land Allotments Transparently

The Minister underlined that India has also achieved the milestone of 50% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources five years ahead of schedule. He, however, cautioned that capacity addition must be complemented by effective utilisation, and urged states to expedite Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs), power purchase agreements (PPAs), and land allotments transparently. “Timely action is the backbone of this system. If we keep delaying procurement on the expectation that tariffs will fall further, we are missing the bigger picture”, the Minister said.

Joshi called upon states to strengthen Ease of Doing Business in the renewable sector by adopting single-window clearance systems, reducing compliance, and resolving Right of Way and law-and-order issues faced by developers. He stressed that investor confidence hinges on proactive facilitation by state governments.

The Minister also called upon wind-rich states to come up with time-bound roadmaps for new site allocation and transmission readiness. Furthermore, he welcomed the recent GST cut on renewable energy devices and services from 12% to 5%, which would make solar, wind, biogas, and waste-to-energy systems more affordable. He also urged states to promote these technologies more actively.

On domestic manufacturing, Joshi highlighted the success of the PLI Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules with an outlay of ₹24,000 crore. He informed that India now has 100 GW of module manufacturing capacity, ₹50,000 crore investments, and over 12,600 direct jobs created under the scheme.

Joshi also stressed that India’s energy transition will succeed only through collective action by the Centre, states, industry, and citizens. He assured full support from the MNRE and invited all stakeholders to share ideas for accelerating the growth story of renewable energy.