Waaree begins trial production at 5.4GW Indian solar cell facility

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A Waaree manufacturing facility.
Waaree’s cell production facility will be India’s largest once it reaches full-scale operation. Image: Waaree.

Indian solar module manufacturer Waaree Energies has started trial production at its 5.4GW cell production facility in Chikhli, Gujarat, which is slated to be India’s largest cell manufacturing plant when it reaches full-scale production.

The company first announced plans for the facility in 2022. It is Waaree’s only cell manufacturing facility in operation, compared to 13.3GW of module manufacturing capacity. While the company has not specified when it expects to begin full-scale production at the factory, the ramping up of cell production is significant considering India’s push towards more domestic production of solar technologies.

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

Last year, the government announced that cells would feature on its Approved List of Modules and Manufacturers (ALMM) from 2026, and developers can qualify for government subsidies for projects should they use products from listed companies, many of which are based in India. Waaree, for its part, noted that the advancement of its cell production facility would help deliver more “indigenous manufacturing” in the Indian solar sector.

“The commencement of trial production at our solar cell manufacturing facility is indeed an achievement for us and a testament to India’s renewable energy aspirations,” said Waaree director and CEO Dr Amit Paithankar. “Our drive for backward integration is aligned with the nation’s goal of reducing dependence on imports, thereby creating a robust, self-reliant solar supply chain.”

This emphasis on domestic content across the Indian solar sector is reflected in a module supply deal, which Waaree announced last week. The company will supply 150MW of its n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules, rated at 585-590Wp, to what it called a “renowned customer” involved in renewable power development in India.

The deal follows a number of similar announcements for the Indian solar sector last year, including a 412.5MW supply deal secured in June and a 445MW agreement finalised in May.

Investments in Indian solar manufacturing capacity is also helping to drive export figures, with figures from the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and JMK Research showing that, between the 2022 and 2024 financial years, the percentage of annual domestic module production that was exported jumped from 3% to 29%. In the 2024 financial year, module exports alone accounted for around US$2 billion in value, as maximising domestic manufacturing becomes a priority for a number of leaders in the solar sector.

Read Next

August 4, 2025
Indian solar PV module manufacturer Vikram Solar will supply 250MW of n-type modules to Bondada Group for its solar project in Maharashtra.
Premium
August 4, 2025
Legislation withdrawing vital tax credits has plunged the US solar market into turmoil, putting project deployments and manufacturing at risk.
August 4, 2025
Waaree Energies has commissioned a 1.8GW solar module manufacturing line at its factory in Chikhli, Navsari district, Gujarat.
August 1, 2025
US solar module manufacturer First Solar saw sales and net profits increase in Q2 2025, as it forecasts a strong performance under the Trump administration’s industrial and trade policy changes.
July 30, 2025
Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all imports entering the US from India from the 1st August 2025.
July 30, 2025
The Government of Kyrgyzstan has signed two investment deals with Vietnamese firms Rox Energy Global and RECA LLC for the development of a 1.9GW solar project.

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 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK