India reimposes ALMM, eliminates exemption for open access and rooftop solar

April 2, 2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
ALMM aims to help boost domestic solar manufacturing. Image: Goldi Solar

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced the reimposition of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), effective from 1 April.

On 29 March 2024, MNRE announced that the ALMM for solar PV modules “shall accordingly come into effect from 1 April 2024”.

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

It added: “Each project where the solar PV modules have been received at the project site by 31 March 2024 and is unable to get commissioned by that day, on account of reasons beyond the control of the renewable power developer, would be examined separately.”

MNRE announced that ALMM was suspended from March 2023 due to concerns over an inadequate supply of domestically-made modules to meet demand. Thus, projects commissioned by the end of March 2024 will be exempted from the requirement of procuring solar PV modules from ALMM.

The ALMM was initially set to be reimposed on 1 April, as announced by MNRE on 9 February. At that time, MNRE stated that the ALMM would not apply to projects “set up under open access” and rooftop solar projects by private parties. However, the latest announcement from MNRE has brought about a change, eliminating these exemptions for these projects.

Additionally, MNRE announced on 15 February that it had decided to suspend the reimposition of ALMM “till further orders”.

Industry observers have suggested the government needs to further clarify the details of the ALMM before reimposing it, so as to avoid becoming overwhelmed by petitions and disputes that could limit capacity additions in India.

However, in the latest announcement made by MNRE, the government did not tell the reason for reimposing the ALMM.

Prior to the reimposition of the ALMM, MNRE set up the minimum efficiency standards for cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film modules to be enlisted in the ALMM for solar PV modules. The announcement from MNRE divides CdTe thin-film modules into three categories based on their usages: utility or grid-scale power plants, rooftop and solar pumping, and solar lighting. For utility or grid-scale power plants, the required minimum efficiency is 19%, the highest among all categories.

For rooftop and solar pumping and solar lighting, the required minimum efficiencies are 18.5% and 18%, respectively.

PV Tech publisher Solar Media will be organising the Solar Finance & Investment Asia Summit in Singapore, 24-25 September. The event will bring together the most influential leaders representing funds, banks, developers, utilities, government and industry across the Asia-Pacific region on a programme that is solutions-focused from top to tail. For more information, including how to attend, please go to the official website.

Read Next

October 17, 2025
Norwegian renewable energy firm Scatec has signed lease agreements for 64MW of solar PV and 10MWh of energy storage capacity in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
October 16, 2025
Masdar and Turkey have entered the final stage of US$1 billion agreement to develop the 1.1GW plant in Bor, Niğde Province, central Turkey.
October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.
October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 16, 2025
Off-grid solar company Sun King has revealed plans to set up manufacturing operations in Kenya and Nigeria.
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.

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