India’s solar manufacturing mandate now extends to ingots and wafers, with MNRE setting a compliance deadline of June 1, 2028, and a seven-day cut-off window that determines which projects must source wafers from approved domestic manufacturers.

Bids submitted more than seven days after the publication of the first ALMM List-III for wafers must specify the use of ALMM List-III-compliant wafers.

The ALMM List for wafers – ALMM List-III – will be issued only when at least three independent wafer manufacturing facilities are operational in India with a combined annual capacity of at least 15 GW.

Manufacturers seeking enlistment in ALMM List-III must also have equivalent ingot manufacturing capacity.

The ALMM mechanism was introduced by MNRE to protect domestic manufacturers from the dumping of Chinese solar products. Under the framework, only MNRE-approved models and manufacturers are eligible for participation in government-backed solar projects. ALMM currently applies to solar modules (ALMM List-I) and solar cells (ALMM List-II).

Under the wafer amendment, all ALMM-covered projects must use PV modules from ALMM List-I, manufactured using cells from ALMM List-II, with those cells using wafers sourced from manufacturers listed under ALMM List-III. Projects exempt from using ALMM-listed cells are automatically exempt from the wafer requirement.

Projects bid out on or before the cut-off date – set at seven days after the issuance of the first ALMM wafer list – are exempt from the ALMM List-III wafer requirement regardless of commissioning timeline. Projects with bid submission deadlines after the cut-off date must specify ALMM List-III-compliant wafers in their tender documents.

Vinay Rustagi, chief business officer of Premier Energies, said bringing ingots and wafers under ALMM was a logical next step in deepening India’s solar manufacturing sector.

“Currently 100% of our demand for solar wafers is met from imports, making the sector highly prone to supply shocks, exchange rate volatility and trade disruption,” added Rustagi.

He said the segment could attract around INR 500 billion ($5.4 billion) in investment over the next three years. Premier Energies has announced a plan to build 10 GW of ingot-wafer capacity at a cost of INR 59 billion.

“MNRE’s decision to extend ALMM to ingots and wafers marks a watershed moment in India’s solar journey. This policy vindicates the foresight of companies that invested early in integrated, end-to-end domestic manufacturing,” said Prashant Mathur, CEO of Saatvik Green Energy. “It is more than a regulatory change; it is a bold affirmation that India is determined to own its solar supply chain, cut import dependencies, and generate high-quality manufacturing jobs at scale. Saatvik welcomes this move as a decisive step toward building a resilient, self-reliant solar ecosystem that powers India’s future.”