The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that government solar projects under net metering, behind-the-meter, and open access mechanisms are exempt from using cells under List-II of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) if the bid submission deadlines fall on or before the cutoff date of August 31, 2025.

Such projects must only comply with the ALMM List-I mandate for modules.

However, such projects covered by any government program or other initiatives, such as components B and C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, and the CPSU Scheme Phase-II, that mandate using solar cells and modules compliant with the domestic content requirement, will not be exempt from the full ALMM requirements.

The Ministry issued the first ALMM List-II for solar cells on July 31, 2025, enlisting nine domestic manufacturers with a cumulative annual production capacity of 13,067 MW. The ALMM List-II will come into effect from July 1, 2026.

The Ministry issued the clarification to clear the industry’s confusion over the ALMM mandate’s applicability for government projects under net-metering, behind-the-meter, and open access modes, if the last bid submission date falls before the cut-off date.

Members of the industry had highlighted that the clause exempting government projects with a last bid submission date on or before the cut-off date from using cells from ALMM List-II contradicts another clause mandating ALMM List-II compliance for projects under net metering and open access commissioned on or after June 1, 2026.

In July 2025, the Ministry exempted government projects mandated to use solar modules from the ALMM List-I from complying with ALMM List-II for solar cells, if the bid submission deadline is on or before the cut-off date. Such projects will be exempt from using solar cells from the ALMM List-II even if their date of commissioning is beyond June 1, 2026.

In the same month, MNRE clarified that behind-the-meter projects for captive consumption by government entities or public sector enterprises must use solar modules from the ALMM. However, these projects are exempt from using ALMM-compliant cells if they were commissioned before June 1, 2026. Projects commissioned after this deadline must use ALMM-listed modules and cells.