For years, India relied on Chinese imports to meet its solar needs. That dependence is now being challenged. In 2024, domestic companies added 25.3 GW of new module capacity, nearly doubling national manufacturing strength. The PLI scheme, central to this shift, encouraged investment and signalled India’s intent to become more than just a consumer of global technology. The adoption of TOPCon cells shows that India is moving toward higher-value innovation.

Yet the picture is not without contradictions. Despite the surge in domestic capacity, India still imported nearly 66 GW of modules and cells in 2024, while exports slightly declined. Upstream integration remains limited: Only 2 GW of wafer capacity has been commissioned, compared to nearly 40 times that in downstream module production. Without addressing polysilicon and wafer production, India risks shifting its........

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