India aims to increase cell manufacturing capacity 8 times by 2030- NSEFI

Delhi Delhi: The Indian solar industry is taking a bold leap towards manufacturing leadership. On the first day of the TaiyangNews Solar Technology Conference India 2025, Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, CEO of the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), representing India’s solar industry, forecast that the country’s solar module manufacturing capacity will reach 160 GW by 2030, along with 120 GW of cells and 100 GW of wafer and polysilicon capacity. This will be double the module manufacturing capacity of about 80 GW in 2025 and 8 times more than the cell production capacity of 15 GW this year. After grid-connecting a record 24.5 GW (AC) in 2024, India’s total installed solar generation capacity reached 100 GW (AC) earlier this year, more than double the wind power generation fleet. Coinciding with NSEFI’s positive forecast was a major step in international cooperation, as NSEFI and SolarPower Europe (SPE), the association of the European solar sector, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen ties while expanding their earlier cooperation in solar deployment in PV manufacturing. “India’s solar journey depends on getting the 4Ms – machines, materials, manpower and money – right,” said Pulipaka. “To create a complete manufacturing ecosystem, international cooperation, especially with Europe, is crucial,” he stressed. Mate Heise, COO of SolarPower Europe, said Europe’s experienced solar production equipment industry and specialized solar research organizations are ready to extend their support to the Indian solar manufacturing sector. He mentioned the association’s newly created International Solar Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), which helps European solar manufacturers and equipment providers maximize international business opportunities with the support of EU initiatives such as the Global Gateway, which aims to mobilize up to 150 billion euros of investment in the climate and energy sectors alone.