Energetica India Magazine - November 2025

Shubhra Mohanka, Director, Gau- tam Solar, remarked that the com- pany is moving towards complete backward integration. “Work has already begun on our 54-acre land parcel in Gwalior, MP, where we are setting up our solar cell manu- facturing facility. Additionally, we Avinash Hiranandani, Vice Chair- man and MD, RenewSys India, said, “We began with encapsu- lants and backsheets, and today we manufacture solar panels while also backward integrating into so- lar cell production. RenewSys will be well-positioned to meet ALMM Prashant Choubey, President and Head – Green Hydrogen Business, Avaada Group, stressed on build- ing fully-integrated facilities. He remarked, “We began with solar module manufacturing and are now actively working on cell manufac- turing as well. As we strengthen our Making a case for Rajasthan as a solar manufacturing hub, Navin Arora, Former Managing Director, Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam, high- lighted the state’s advantage in raw materials like silver and feldspar, key inputs in solar cell manufactur- ing, during REconnect Jaipur. “Sil- ed about 40 GWp of wafer capacity under the PLI scheme, and domestic manufacturers have announced over 30 GWp of new wafer projects, backed by investments exceeding INR 20,000 crore. have acquired 40 acres in Narmadapuram to establish ingot and wafer production. With these developments, we are pro- gressing steadily toward full backward integration of our so- lar module operations.” List 2 requirements for cells, supplying panels made with In- dia-manufactured solar cells. We have been producing cells for over a decade, which gives us a distinct advantage over most manufacturers in India. We will continue expanding our cell business and will soon begin exploring ingot–wafer manufacturing as the next step in our integration journey.” component processes, our long-term roadmap includes mov- ing further upstream into polysilicon. Our future facilities are envisioned as fully integrated complexes because a resilient supply chain and complete value-chain capability are essen- tial. This integration will ultimately help us deliver greater reliability, efficiency, and control across the entire solar eco - system.” Additionally, to ensure a reliable supply of critical materials, India has also launched the INR 16,300 crore National Crit- ical Mineral Mission, aiming to secure key minerals for clean energy by accelerating domestic exploration, easing regula- tory approvals, and incentivising mining and recovery from overburden and tailings. Creating the Desired Manufacturing Ecosystem In addition to investment and policy backing, domestication of the solar PV chain requires the right kind of ecosystem for large-scale manufacturing. China can serve as an example of how to achieve this. Establishing Supply Chain Ecosystem: For India to replicate China’s success story, it needs to develop a strong support structure and ensure the availability of raw materials locally. India’s policy push towards upstream components like wafer, ingots and polysilicon is a step in this direction. ver accounts for 60 percent of the non-wafer cost in solar cell manufacturing cost, and Rajasthan has the largest reserves. It also has strong connectivity – rail corridors and highways – making logistics and integration feasible,” he said. Developing Solar Manufacturing Clusters: For India to attain self-reliance in solar manufacturing, it must adopt a clus- ter-based approach to manufacturing. energetica INDIA- November_2025 41 FEATURE STORY