MNRE Releases Its 1st ALCM, Names 6 Solar Cell Makers

After much speculation, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has come out with its maiden Approved List of Solar Manufacturers (ALMM)-II for solar cells. It is also referred to as the Approved List of Cell Manufacturers (ALCM) in industry parlance.

In the latest list, the ministry has listed nine manufacturing units (representing six manufacturers) engaged in solar cell production. The cumulative capacity of these six solar cell makers in India stands at around 13 GW.

The highest enlisted capacity was reported by Mundra (Adani) Solar, which has a total cumulative capacity of 3.8 GW, comprising two manufacturing units—one producing mono-PERC cells and the other producing TOPCon cells.

Players On The Fray 

It was followed by First Solar, the US-based manufacturer with a plant in Tamil Nadu, reporting a total capacity of 3,212 MW.

Other key manufacturers on the list include Premier Energies (1,925 MW), ReNew (1,766 MW), Emmvee (1,553 MW), and Jupiter International (779 MW).

The list shows Mundra (Adani) Solar reporting the highest average solar cell efficiency of 25.27%, arising from its bifacial n-type TOPCon cells. It was followed by Emmvee’s bifacial n-type TOPCon cells, which reported an average efficiency of 24.62%.

The ALCM is valid for a period of four years, from July 31, 2025, to July 30, 2029.

Lesser Capacity Than Projected 

Interestingly, the total enlisted domestic solar cell capacity is lower than what the government had previously claimed in Parliament. In a written reply before the Lok Sabha, MNRE had stated that India’s solar cell manufacturing capacity stood at 25 GW, citing figures provided by an industry body.

The current list primarily covers the mega solar manufacturers that have been producing solar cells over the past few years. Notably, some other prominent players like Waaree Energies, Tata Power, and Websol Energy are missing from the list. As per the latest investor call of Premier Energies, government entities were still scrutinising the documentation of Indian solar cell manufacturers who had applied for the first ALCM.

However, the upcoming revised ALCM is expected to feature many more names, as over 35 solar module manufacturers have already committed to starting solar cell production by 2026–2027. In the coming updates over 2025-26, we may see an exponential rise in ALCM listings, much like the trajectory witnessed with ALMM for solar modules post 2023-24.