1366 Technologies to invest US$300 million in solar manufacturing in India, seeking local partner

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
One of 1366 Technologies’ wafer labs in Malaysia. Image: 1366 Technologies

Solar wafer provider 1366 Technologies is actively exploring manufacturing opportunities in India, seeking a local partner.

US-based 1366 Technologies, which is backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Venture, confirmed to PV Tech that it intends to invest US$300 million to establish a 2GW wafer and cell manufacturing facility in India, CEO and founder Frank van Mierlo has said.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Reports first published in Livemint stated the successful partner will handle module manufacturing and the establishment of solar farms in India. 1366 is in talks with Indian firms but van Mierlo would not name them, citing non-disclosure agreements.

The partnership will operate under the Indian government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. “The Indian Government has made domestic solar manufacturing a priority and our technology is particularly well suited for the Indian market,” a 1366 spokesperson told PV Tech.

Under the PLI scheme, the government of India will support companies to open up new production facilities with US$600 million worth of investment, with the exact amount provided to each company linked to sales and module efficiency.    

Meanwhile, India has 14.8% safeguard duty on imported modules and, in April next year, imported cells and modules will incur a 25% and 40% customs duty, respectively.

The India government has also sought to attract investment through PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, which was supposed to boost the country’s manufacturing and cut red tape, although results have been mixed with declining job figures and stagnant export numbers.

India’s installed renewable capacity of both solar and wind has doubled over the past five years, however, and is today at around 100GW.

“Direct Wafer manufacturing [the company’s proprietary wafering technology] can immediately deliver the lowest cost of electricity in a single junction device for India’s utility market and it underpins an economically-feasible, high efficiency, tandem product,” noted 1366’s spokesperson.

1366 is also being backed by North Bridge Venture Partners and Polaris Partners.

Read Next

October 8, 2025
Saatvik Green Energy has secured new solar PV module orders worth more than INR7 billion (US$84 million), to be delivered in this financial year.
October 7, 2025
Juniper Green Energy through its subsidiary Juniper Green Sigma Eight has signed a 70MW power purchase agreement with renewable energy giant Tata Power. 
October 6, 2025
Indian infrastructure company focused on rooftop and ground-based solar power installations, PVV Infra has secured solar power orders worth INR7.9 billion (US$90 million) through two of its subsidiaries. 
October 6, 2025
Indian solar developer ACME Group has established a new subsidiary to manage its renewable equipment manufacturing business, under which it is planning to scale production of TOPCon PV modules.
October 6, 2025
Rajasthan government will develop 500MW/2,000MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a four-hour single-cycle configuration and extended operational life.
October 2, 2025
The Indian solar industry has 86GW and 182GW of solar cell and module manufacturing capacity, respectively, expected to be commissioned by 2027.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK