Some of the industry is at loggerheads and many feel local manufacturing must be intrinsic to the 100GW by 2022 solar target, but the value of trade duties is under dispute.
Indian utility NTPC has invited bids for 35MW of grid-connected solar PV projects across two states, with the requirement to source domestic solar equipment.
India recently proposed a new strategy of supporting its domestic solar manufacturers by allocating 7.5GW of local content tenders to Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), but analysts have identified a number of limitations.
Plans for a major financial package to support India’s domestic PV manufacturers have been cancelled by the Indian government in order to be reshaped for the current state of the industry, according to a source close to the issue.
Delegations from the US and India have agreed that India has until 14 December this year to enact the ruling of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against its local content policy for solar equipment.
Indian utility NTPC has retendered 250MW of PV at a solar park in Karnataka after infrastructural issues at the park dampened the interest of developers to participate.
Integrated PV firm Tata Power Solar has doubled its module manufacturing capacity and raised its cell capacity by 65% at its plant in Bangalore, southern India.
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has scrapped 150MW of solar capacity that was due to be auctioned under local content rules, in what may be a sign of the WTO ruling against the DCR taking effect.
