“These steps are designed to strengthen India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem and reduce its dependence on imports from China,” said the Govt

India imported more than 352.57 lakh solar photovoltaic (PV) modules valued at USD 1.69 billion from China during FY2024-25, even as the country’s approved domestic manufacturing capacity touched nearly 100 gigawatts (GW), the government told the Lok Sabha.
According to official data, the imports came despite India having sufficient installed manufacturing strength under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) as of 13 August 2025. Analysts attribute the dependence on Chinese supplies to cost competitiveness and faster delivery timelines offered by foreign manufacturers.

The Centre said it is working to cut reliance on imports through a series of measures. These include the Rs 24,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which supports 48,337 MW of solar PV manufacturing units, and mandatory domestic content requirements in government-backed solar schemes, where subsidies hinge on local sourcing of modules and cells.

Other steps include a 50 per cent local content mandate for public procurement, Basic Customs Duty on imported modules, cells, inverters and glass, and the withdrawal of customs duty concessions on project equipment since February 2021. At the same time, the government has provided exemptions on certain capital goods used in solar PV manufacturing to encourage domestic capacity creation.

“These steps are designed to strengthen India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem and reduce its dependence on imports from China,” the government said in its written reply.

India has set a target of installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, with solar expected to account for a significant share.