India imported solar cells and modules worth over $1.27 billion (~₹116 billion) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, a 2.8% year-over-year decline from $1.3 billion (~₹112.9 billion) in Q1 2025, according to data from the Department of Commerce. On a quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) basis, combined module and cell imports increased by 14.3% from over $1.11 billion (~₹98.8 billion). Solar module imports rose 81.2%, while cell imports declined 1.9% from the previous quarter.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) directed renewable energy developers to submit requests for exemption from compliance with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for solar cells only through the dedicated domestic content requirement (DCR) portal. The requests must be submitted along with all the supporting documents and evidence.

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission adopted a tariff of ₹2.98 (~$0.0312)/kWh for the procurement of 56 MW of solar power under Component C2 of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program. It also approved 28 power purchase agreements signed by the successful bidder, Nacof Oorja (with MKC NOPL Green Energy as the SPV), and the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation.

India’s power transmission gap is widening, with the latest official data flagging schedule slippages in 36 critical interstate transmission system lines. The scheduled commercial operation dates for these under-construction transmission lines, with a combined length of 10,321 circuit kilometers, had elapsed as of April 30, 2026, according to the Central Transmission Utility of India.

Rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana have crossed the four million milestone, according to data from the MNRE and Mercom India Research. In social media posts, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said India’s solar revolution is becoming a true people’s movement, with states across the nation rapidly embracing rooftop solar through the PM Surya Ghar program.

Solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors are increasingly turning to design and simulation platforms to cut proposal delays, improve design accuracy, and connect field assessments with simulation, financial modeling, and procurement workflows. In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Shashank Jha and Kalyan Tarafdar, co-founders at Reslink, which provides software and hardware for renewable energy EPC contractors to accelerate projects.

NTPC Green Energy (NGEL) invited bids to develop 7,800 MWh of battery energy storage systems at NTPC Renewables’ (NTPC REL) solar project in Bikaner. The scope of work includes design, engineering, supply, packing, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected battery energy storage systems on a turnkey basis.

NGEL invited bids to develop 3,300 MWh of battery energy storage systems at NTPC REL’s solar project in Khavda, Gujarat. The scope of work includes the design, engineering, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, testing, and commissioning of the grid-connected battery storage system on a turnkey basis.

NGEL invited bids for EPC of 3,200 MWh of battery storage systems at NTPC REL’s solar project in Fatehgarh, Rajasthan. The last date to submit bids is June 25, 2026. Bids will be opened on the same day. The scope of work entails design, engineering, supply, packing, forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of grid-connected battery storage projects.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India issued a request for selection to set up 12,250 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects on the buildings of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (Tranche-XI) in 21 states and union territories under the renewable energy service company model.

Global energy investment is expected to reach $3.4 trillion in 2026, a 5% increase from 2025, as spending rises on electricity systems, energy security, and domestic energy resources, according to the latest World Energy Investment 2026 report released by the International Energy Agency.

AusEnergy Services awarded six long-duration battery storage projects totaling 1,334 MW/5,336 MWh under the first Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism auction in South Australia. The projects must be designed to deliver a cumulative committed output of 517 MW/4,136 MWh and be capable of continuous dispatch for at least 8 hours during periods of tight supply-demand balance.