In a big boost to the renewable energy component manufacturing, the Ministry of Finance reduced the goods and services tax (GST) on solar cells, wind energy generators, and biogas plants from 12% to 5%. The reduced GST rates were announced at the 56th meeting of the GST Council. The GST reduction will make solar project development cheaper by about 5%. Solar tariffs may also come down significantly. Solar cells, regardless of whether they are assembled into modules, will now be subject to a GST of 5%. The same rate of GST will apply to solar lanterns/solar lamps, solar cookers, and solar water heaters and systems.

The Union Cabinet approved a ₹15 billion (~$170.19 million) incentive program to develop India’s recycling capacity for separating and producing critical minerals from secondary sources such as e-waste and lithium-ion battery scrap. This program is a part of the National Critical Mineral Mission, under the Ministry of Mines, which aims to build domestic capacity and supply chain resilience for critical minerals. The Union Cabinet approved the National Critical Mineral Mission in January this year. This initiative will have an estimated expenditure of ₹163 billion (~$1.88 billion) and an expected investment of ₹180 billion (~$2.07 billion) by public sector undertakings and other entities.

KLE Academy of Higher Education & Research turned to rooftop solar in 2023 to cut electricity costs, reduce its dependence on the grid, and bring renewable energy into its hospitals and colleges. A year on, the 1 MW system at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College campus in Belgaum, Karnataka, is doing just that. It generates approximately 150,000 units of power every month and reduces the electricity bill by nearly ₹600,000 (~$6,812) every month.

Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (RVUNL) issued requests for proposals to prepare feasibility-cum-detailed project reports for developing solar parks with a cumulative capacity of 31.6 GW across six locations in Rajasthan. The scope of work covers topographic and geotechnical investigation of the land allotted to the RVUNL feasibility report with various business models /options/strategy/route for investment for techno-commercial viability of the park.

The Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMCL) invited bids to procure 500 MW of energy storage capacity from interstate transmission system-connected pumped storage projects (PSPs). MPPMCL, on behalf of MP distribution companies and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation, has floated the tender. The last date to submit bids is October 27, 2025. Bids will be opened on October 31. The scope of work encompasses the supply of energy storage from PSPs on a demand-based basis for 40 years, on a build, own, and operate basis. The projects must ensure up to six hours of discharge and a maximum of four hours of continuous discharge. Bidders must bid for a capacity of at least 50 MW from a single location.

Gurgaon-based ACME Solar Holdings received a letter of award from Tata Power Company’s distribution arm, Tata Power-D, for developing a 50 MW firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) project, with a tariff of ₹4.43 (~$0.051)/kWh. The award is a part of a larger 250 MW FDRE tender conducted by Tata Power-D. The power purchase agreement between ACME Solar and Tata Power-D will be valid for 25 years. The FDRE project will integrate multiple renewable energy technologies, primarily solar power, along with a battery energy storage system. The project must maintain a minimum annual capacity utilization factor of 40%.

The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) traded a monthly electricity volume of 11.8 billion units (BU) in August 2025, an 18.9% year-over-year increase. IEX said the country’s energy consumption during the month reached 150.47 BU, a 4.4% growth over the same period in 2024. Despite the increase in demand, prices on power exchanges were lower compared to the previous year, owing to higher liquidity on the supply side of the exchange platform.

Noida-based cleantech startup QuantE Energy Tech raised $500,000 (~₹44 million) from Trillion Dollar Venture Partners and marquee angel investors. The list of marquee angel investors includes Raghunandan G, Founder at Zolve and TaxiForSure; Amit Lakhotia, Founder at Park+; Ankit Gupta, President at Brookfields; and Hari Krishnan Nair, cofounder at Great Learning. QuantE has also raised an undisclosed amount in debt and related instruments. The funding will be utilized to provide clean, affordable, and smart energy for the residential sector, especially group housing societies in Indian metro cities.

U.S.-based solar cell manufacturer TALON PV building a 4 GW manufacturing facility for high-efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells in the country. The facility is expected to commence production by the end of 2026. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Fraunhofer ISE) is supporting the company for this project. The research institute is setting up a pilot production line for TALON PV’s TOPCon cells at its Photovoltaic Technology Evaluation Center in Germany’s Freiburg. Jochen Rentsch, Head of PV Technology Transfer at Fraunhofer ISE, said, “The copy of the manufacturing line from TALON PV allows us to optimize both the product and the process of the new factory even before production begins. This saves time and money.”