Energetica India nº91 July August 2020

over base film composition complicates reaching ‘maximized’ performance. Next to performance, we also need to address end-of-life issues and the use of hazardous materials. We fear lami- nated backsheets are hindering a more circular approach, and will contribute to greater waste streams and environmen- tal pollution. And we need to act soon, as – with the industry continuing to grow exponentially – the choices we make to- day will have a huge impact in 30 years’ time. More than ever, the solar industry needs to carefully revisit its backsheet composition, as well as its manufactur- ing processes. Fortunately there are fully recyclable backsheet alternatives on the market with excellent performance/cost ratio. E nergetica I ndia : Can safeguard duty and BCD will go hand-in-hand? Is this practically feasible as per the current Indian scenario? V ivek C haturvedi : Irrespective of what the duty is called, as I am not an expert in this area, I believe any initiative that pro- vides a level playing field to the industry is feasible. Any idea that drives local de- mand beyond a critical threshold brings in local and global investments. This in turn enables competitiveness and inno- vation to bring in the latest and the best technology/materials to the customer in India. E nergetica I ndia : How do you see the current impact of Covid-19 and pros - pects for future? V ivek C haturvedi : COVID-19 has impact- ed the global solar market and increased uncertainty in what was an already dy- namic business driven by local require- ments (tariffs, laws, etc.). Fortunately, our production continued, and we were able to swiftly act upon changing demands. We are now taking a more regionally focused, customer-centric approach to ensure we are best positioned to swift- ly meet local needs in today’s dynamic market. We should continue to focus on driv- ing demand generation in line with the 100Gw installations target under the National Solar Missions by 2022 and ini- tiatives to drive growth in local manufac- turing. Some of the recent interventions are already bearing fruits. We have seen some serious new capacity and new ca- pacity addition announcements, by large players and we are excited about what happening here in Solar space. We be- lieve India is ready to take the next step in self-reliance in the PV supply chain. - Manu Tayal 20 energetica INDIA- July-Aug_2020 INTERVIEW