Bharat Electronics and NHPC to establish gigawatt-scale solar manufacturing site in India

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
NHPC established a joint venture to develop 500MW of floating PV in India last January. Image: Unsplash.

Two Indian state-owned companies, Bharat Electronics (BEL) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a gigawatt-scale solar manufacturing site in India.

The companies have yet to disclose any information regarding to the technology used and when it will be operational, with the only information given that it will be a “vertically integrated solar manufacturing unit”.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The announcement comes in line with the Indian government’s drive to establish a domestic manufacturing base in order to reduce the country’s dependency on solar imports from Chinese manufacturers.

India is set to double its solar module production capacity by the end of 2023 with an extra 18GW of capacity, according to JMK Research & Analysts.

Moreover, the country has been facing a 38% price increase in PV modules since 2020 which most recently has been in part impacted by the recent basic customs duty (BCD) that has been in place since 1 April 2022.

Earlier this year, NHCP established a joint venture (JV) with the Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (GEDCOL) for the development of 500MW of floating solar PV projects in the eastern state of Odisha.

The state-run power firm currently has more than 2.5GW of solar PV projects in different tender stages across India, with several projects involving floating solar PV.

Read Next

July 17, 2025
Indian solar manufacturers are among the targets of a new petition filed by US producers alleging illegal trade practices by overseas firms.
July 15, 2025
Indian renewable energy company SAEL Industries is developing a 5GW solar cell and 5GW module manufacturing facility in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
July 11, 2025
Indian independent power producer (IPP) Juniper Green Energy has commissioned an additional 71MWp at Chapalgaon Solar Project in Solapur, Maharashtra.
July 9, 2025
Indian solar water pump and motor manufacturer Shakti Pumps has successfully raised INR2.9 billion (US$34.1 million) to build a solar cell and module manufacturing plant.
July 8, 2025
German solar glass manufacturer Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg (GMB) has filed for insolvency after posting monthly losses of €900,000 this year.
July 8, 2025
Energy consultancy JMK Research has forecast 28.3GW of utility-scale and residential solar PV to be installed in India during fiscal year 2026.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK