Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has expanded the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) Order to introduce ALMM List-III for Ingots and Wafers, which will take effect from 1 June 2028. Suitable grandfathering provisions have been built in to protect projects already in the pipeline. The current order of MNRE, extends mandatory sourcing requirements from ALMM lists, already in place for modules and cells, one step further up the solar supply chain to include the ingots and wafers, which currently remains heavily import-dependent.
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said that it is a decisive step towards strengthening India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem. The Minister said that the move will boost domestic production, enhance supply chain resilience, reduce import dependence, and ensure higher quality standards across the solar value chain.
Wafers are the critical intermediate stage between polysilicon and solar cells. India currently has limited domestic wafer manufacturing capacity and relies substantially on imports. The introduction of ALMM List-III is expected to drive investment into ingot and wafer manufacturing facilities in India. It will also improve supply chain security and reduce vulnerability to import disruptions and ensure quality and traceability of solar components all the way from wafer to module. This will lead to generation of skilled employment in upstream solar manufacturing.