Indian solar manufacturing dead in six months without trade duties, says Tata

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

India’s domestic solar manufacturing sector will collapse by the end of the year unless the government adopts the recommended anti-dumping duties, according to the CEO of Tata Power Solar.

Speaking at Intersolar Europe last week, Ajay K Goel said action was needed now to ensure the sector’s near-term future.

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 reality is that in the last three years there has been so much overcapacity and so much dumping that if we do not take dramatic action now, then within six months the Indian manufacturing industry will be dead,” he told PV Tech.

“They are already in fairly bad shape. People have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment and facilities and that are now just sitting idle. It’s a shame.”

Recommended duties of US$0.11 to US$0.81/W have been tabled with the finance ministry given a deadline of 22 August to decide whether or not to impose them.

Project developers in the country fear that the resultant increase in costs will mean delay projects and stall the country’s solar rollout.

But Goel, whose company is both a module manufacturer and a project developer, believes the industry needs to accept “some pain” in order to guarantee its longer term future.

“[Anti-] dumping is a short-term solution. The government has to provide a level playing field and allow the Indian manufacturers to grow,” he said. “Anti-dumping [measures are] a means to an end, after a while once the industry gets on its own two feet and reaches a certain scale, then those duties can be scaled back.”

Goel also revealed that the company plans to use its own modules for its projects if anti-dumping is adopted. It currently buys Chinese panels for use in India and exports its own the US and Europe market where trade duties against Chinese products are already in place.

Read Next

May 20, 2025
The ability of PV simulation software to accurately simulate energy performance for bifacial modules leaves more questions than answers.
May 20, 2025
Enfinity Global has secured €100 million from Eiffel Investment Group to advance its solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio in Europe.
May 20, 2025
Solar PV additions have slowed down in the first quarter of 2025 in India, with 6.7GW, according to a report from Mercom India Research.
May 20, 2025
SOLV Energy has announced plans to build more than 6GW of new utility-scale solar and storage capacity in the US.
May 20, 2025
The three projects, Mammoth South, Mammoth Central I, and Mammoth Central II, have a generation capacity of 300 MW each.
May 20, 2025
Third-party ownership (TPO) of non-residential projects in the US has led commercial and industrial (C&I) and community solar financing in 2024.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
May 21, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 8, 2025
Asia