The Indian government has mandated domestic solar cell and module manufacturers to upload details of their annual imports, exports, and manufacturing facility locations on two online portals. This move by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) aims to prevent the mislabeling of imported solar cells as domestic products, ensuring compliance with Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) standards.
The new rules require manufacturers listed in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) to report their production data on a portal operated by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) from April 2023. This measure is intended to improve the traceability of domestically produced solar components and support India’s push for local manufacturing in the solar sector.
The initiative also seeks to reduce reliance on imported solar modules, particularly from China, and to bolster India’s solar energy goals, including sourcing 280 GW from solar power by 2030. However, concerns remain about whether India’s manufacturing capacity can meet rising demand and the potential impact of global trade policy changes on the solar market.