REConnect Pune: Panelists Highlight AI, Innovation and Supply Chain Gaps in Solar Manufacturing
At RE Connect Pune 2025, the panel “Building India’s Solar Backbone – Manufacturing and Innovation in Maharashtra” shed light on accelerating domestic solar manufacturing, leveraging AI, addressing supply chain gaps and training EPCs to ensure quality installations, and more
September 19, 2025. By News Bureau
Held on 19 September, 2025, the session brought together diverse voices from across the solar ecosystem to deliberate on how India can accelerate domestic solar manufacturing, strengthen supply chains and harness new technologies for long-term competitiveness.
The session opened against the backdrop of India’s ambitious clean energy targets—500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, with solar contributing a lion’s share. The moderator of the session, Dr Sathish Suri, Managing Director, GreenPath Energy and Sustainability Services, underlined that innovation and manufacturing play a key role for the entire Renewable Energy (RE) spectrum. He asked the panelists about the challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing spectrum w.r.t RE industry, limited to solar industry.
Responding to this at first, Manesh Dani, Vice President—Sales and Marketing, SolarYaan, said, “When we look towards the 500 GW target, it seems we are determined to achieve it. The sector is running at full throttle, but the real challenge lies in deciding where to apply the brakes and where to accelerate. The journey forward will depend on backward integration, innovation and strengthening manufacturing. Imports may rise, assembly will expand, and we are likely to see a solar revolution.”
He further explained that manufacturing excellence is inseparable from Research and Development (R&D) and innovation.
“Manufacturing happens when R&D begins, but to do meaningful R&D, the ecosystem must be in place by 2030. By the time those products are validated and proven, much of the plant duration until 2030 may already be over. Today, while efforts are being made, the scale required for 100 GW of comprehensive solutions—from wafers to panels, inverters and BOS—remains a challenge,” he added.
Going further, Mahendra Bharaskar, Head of Business Development, Anand E-Beam Cables, expressed his thoughts on the affordability and availability for a faster manufacturing process. According to him, the cable industry already has significant capacity to support renewable energy projects, but challenges remain, particularly around components and specialised compounds that still need to be imported. Today, about 10 leading manufacturers dominate the Indian market, and Anand E-Beam Cables is among them, steadily growing in this sector.
Regarding the growth of RE industry in Maharashtra compared to Gujarat and other states, Sehul Bhatt, Director, Crisil Intelligence, opined, “When we interact with state government or any large developers, we understand that the target of 500 GW is easily achievable because of the scale, economy and performance point of view. However, if you look at the amalgamation of industry and the ground reality, then there is a caution about the fact that land is not easily available at a right price. Further, in many locations, the plant might be ready but the response we get from the regulators is that the last-mile connectivity will come only after two years. Hence, if we see the ground reality, then the view would be slightly different compared to the achievement ratio.”
Speaking about how excellence can happen through localised mechanisms like PLI schemes, Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme and Make in India concept, Mehul Desai, General Manager, Navitas Solar, remarked that Pune has established itself as an automobile hub largely because of institutions like Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which provide world-class testing and certification facilities to the industry. However, when it comes to renewable energy and solar manufacturing, Maharashtra lacks a similar dedicated testing or certification agency.
He further said, “Maharashtra is already India’s biggest industrial hub, with one of the highest energy demands. According to MNRE data, solar installations in the state currently stand at around 120-125 GW. What’s striking is that in the coming year alone, an additional 70-80 GW is expected to be added—almost half of what has been installed over the past two decades. This growth potential clearly highlights an opportunity: Maharashtra can position itself as a leader in bridging the supply chain gap in solar manufacturing. To achieve this, two critical elements are required—testing facilities and certification mechanisms.”
Niket Shah, Promoter, Aatmanirbhar Solar, spoke on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can enhance the efficiency, reliability and availability of the plant.
He informed, “Manufacturers are increasingly integrating AI into their expansion plants. Currently, more than eight manufacturers are using AI-powered stations. These machines compare each module against an ideal standard, automatically rejecting substandard units. As a result, there is minimal room for human error in quality control. Previously, manufacturers typically offered 25-year warranties, but with these advanced manufacturing lines, warranties have increased to 30 years. This reflects the significant improvement in both the quality of modules and consistency in production.”
Expressing his views on the gap between industry and academia collaboration, Sahaj Mutha, Secretary, The Maharashtra Solar Manufacturers’ Association (MASMA), said, “There is a significant gap between advanced manufacturing setups and actual field installations.
While manufacturers are increasing capacities and integrating AI, the reality on the ground is different. Panels move from manufacturers to distributors, then to dealers, EPCs, and finally the end customer. Although SOPs and instruction manuals exist, the question remains: are EPCs actually following them? Are dealers and distributors passing accurate information to the field? This disconnect has persisted for the past five years or more. Warranty claims of 25-30 years are directly tied to proper installation as per the manuals, but are we adequately training EPCs to adhere to these guidelines?”
He further stated that MASMA is already engaging with stakeholders to organise training programmes to bridge this gap.
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