Only Approved Solar Cells for 1 June 2026

·         Mandatory Use of ALMM-Listed Solar PV Cells to Begin One Month After List Publication

·         ALMM Mandate for Solar PV Cells from 1st June 2026 Remains Unchanged

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an amendment on 28 July 2025 to the Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) order for solar PV cells:

·         Mandatory use of ALMM-listed solar PV cells will apply from 1 June 2026, as originally notified.

·         However, compliance will now be required only one month after the ALMM list for cells is published, giving bidders time to prepare.

·         The ALMM mechanism, already in place for modules since 10 April 2021, ensures producer reliability, consumer protection, and national energy security.

·         India's current domestic capacity is 91 GW for solar modules and 27 GW for solar cells.

·         The amendment aims to boost domestic manufacturing, ease compliance issues for developers, and ensure alignment between solar cell and module production growth.

<Amendment dated 28.07.2025>

[ABS News Service/29.07.2025]

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) had earlier notified Approved List of Models & Manufacturers (ALMM) for solar PV modules with effect from 10.04.2021 and ALMM for solar PV cells with effect from 01.06.2026.

The ALMM is a mechanism to ensure reliability of producer, for protecting the consumer interests, while ensuring larger energy security of the country. The mechanism has also ensured quick promotion of domestic solar manufacturing industry in the country, which currently stands at 91 GW of solar PV modules and 27 GW of solar PV cells.

An amendment to the order dated 09.12.2024 on ALMM for solar PV cells is issued on 28.07.2025, to further clarify and ease out the procedures for projects bid out by Govt. agencies including under Section 63 of the Electricity Act 2003. As a part of the amended procedure, the ALMM for solar PV cells will be mandatory only one month after the publication of ALMM list for solar PV cells, which is currently under process. However, the effective date for mandatory use of solar PV cells under ALMM list, for projects commissioned from 1st June 2026 onwards, will remain as notified earlier.

Above measure is expected to give ample clarity to bidders in submitting their bids in tenders which are required to have provisions for bidders, to submit their bids, keeping in view the mandate for using both solar modules and cells from ALMM lists.

This step will boost the domestic solar manufacturing projects in the country while adequately addressing the issues faced by the renewable power developers in complying with the ALMM for solar PV cells. This will expedite solar cell manufacturing and will help it to keep pace with the growing module manufacturing capacity in the country.