Modi and May unveil £10 million UK-India solar R&D drive

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The duo made the announcement at today's India-UK Tech Summit in Delhi. Image: Narendra Modi/Twitter.

The Indian and UK prime ministers Narendra Modi and Theresa May have unveiled plans to establish a joint research and development centre to support solar innovations.

Speaking earlier today at the start of the India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi, Modi said that the Indian and UK science communities were “providing solutions for clean energy and climate change mitigation”.

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

“We have agreed to establish [the] India-UK Clean Energy R&D Centre on solar energy with joint investment of £10 million,” Modi added.

An Indian government release confirmed that it would be investing INR500 million (£6 million) over five years with a matching contribution from Research Councils UK as part of the Newton Bhabha Fund, an effort to bring together UK and Indian R&D sectors.

The same release stated that new efforts will be linked to both countries’ commitment to the Solar Alliance and focus on systems-level design and development.

Speaking ahead of the event, May said that she believed the two countries could “achieve great things” by collaborating, developing “new technologies and improving our cities, tackling terrorism and climate change”.

The speech kicked off May’s first international trade delegation which involves the heads of more than 30 British businesses, unveiling commercial deals which the government claims will create more than 1,300 jobs in the UK.

“This is a partnership about our shared security and shared prosperity. It is a partnership of potential. And on this visit I intend to harness that potential, rebooting an age-old relationship in this age of opportunity and with that helping to build a better Britain,” she said.

Of the delegates listed by Number 10, perhaps the most interesting from a renewable energy perspective is the presence amongst the delegation of Green Investment Bank chief executive Shaun Kingsbury. A sale of the GIB is widely considered to be nearing closure, with Macquarie the clear frontrunner.

During last year’s Autumn Statement the then chancellor George Osborne announced a doubling of the UK’s energy innovation budget, handing the now defunct Department of Energy and Climate Change up to £500 million to be invested over the next five years.

While at least half of that figures has been earmarked for nuclear technology projects, renewables would also stand in line to receive some of that figure.

21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.

Read Next

June 19, 2025
Boralex is driving organic growth across Canada, the US, France, and the UK, fueled by a project pipeline totalling 8GW.
June 17, 2025
Indian module manufacturer Ahaan Solar has started construction of a 2GW solar module assembly plant in Rohnat, Haryana.
June 16, 2025
The global solar tracker market expanded by 20% in 2024 to a record size, according to energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.
June 13, 2025
Indian solar developer Solarium Green Energy has planned to build a 1GW module manufacturing plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Premium
June 12, 2025
PV Talk: Vinay Rustagi, director of Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies, discusses the company’s upstream manufacturing plans and why he believes India can become a counterweight to Chinese PV hegemony.
June 12, 2025
Waaree Solar Americas will supply 599MW of solar modules supply agreement to an undisclosed US-based independent power producer (IPP).

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico