India to track solar equipment imports to boost local manufacturing
India is planning a fresh monitoring system for solar equipment imports, hoping to give homegrown manufacturers a real shot.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Ministry of Commerce are teaming up on this, with MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi stating the system is intended to boost domestic manufacturing and improve transparency in the sector.
Importers may need to register shipments in advance
Importers may be required to register their shipments in advance and get a special number before clearing customs, making it easier to track where solar parts are coming from.
This builds on India's push for self-reliance: right now, solar module capacity is over 100 GW and cell capacity at 27 GW, but the government wants those numbers to hit 200 GW (modules) and 100 GW (cells) by 2028—way more than what India actually needs each year.
There are also plans to include even more components under these rules soon.