The large-scale deployment of trackers has been a key growth driver for India’s solar energy sector and has supported the country’s transition to renewables by improving energy output and reducing lifecycle costs compared with conventional fixed-tilt installations.

In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Rajeev Kashyap, Senior Vice President and General Manager (Middle East, India, and Africa) at U.S.-based solar tracker company Nextpower, discusses the company’s outlook for solar tracker growth in India, the potential energy gains from tracker deployment, domestic manufacturing capability, and the topographical challenges affecting tracker deployment in India.

How has Nextpower expanded its operational and manufacturing footprint in India over the past few years?

India is one of our most strategic markets globally, and our commitment here has only deepened since 2016.  With more than 160 GW  of solar tracker deployments worldwide, we have established a strong presence in India’s utility-scale solar sector.

We have surpassed 10 GW of solar tracker shipments in India, a milestone that places us firmly among the most deployed tracker platforms in the country.

A defining feature of our presence in India is the Center for Solar Excellence in Hyderabad. The 13-acre facility combines testing, training, and product validation capabilities to support the entire solar project lifecycle and helps us address customer requirements better.

Our India operations are anchored in Hyderabad and Chennai, where more than 500 professionals support product development, research and development, and project execution.

Given how utility-scale projects are increasingly leveraging advanced tracking technologies, what’s Nextpower’s outlook on the growth potential of the solar tracker market in India?

We see India as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for advanced solar tracker adoption, driven by the rapid expansion of utility-scale solar projects, a growing focus on maximizing energy yield, and the need to improve project economics in land- and grid-constrained environments.

Our outlook is also supported by broader industry trends and independent studies, which indicate that tracker-mounted systems in India can deliver higher energy output and lower lifecycle costs as compared to conventional fixed-tilt installations.

The trajectory for solar trackers in India is decisively upward, with the country’s cumulative installed solar capacity standing at 150 GW. The current scale of deployment is extraordinary, and trackers are increasingly becoming an integral part of that story.

India’s push towards achieving 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 will require every available percentage point of yield improvement, and trackers are one of the most cost-effective ways to deliver it. The rapid growth of battery energy storage systems further strengthens the tracker value proposition, as trackers extend and optimize solar generation profiles and improve storage utilization.

What are the average energy-generation gains that can be achieved by integrating solar trackers in utility-scale solar projects?”

Solar trackers deliver measurable, bankable energy gains that transform the economics of utility-scale projects. A well-designed single-axis tracker system increases annual energy generation by 20–30% as compared to a fixed-tilt installation of equivalent module capacity. The gains can go higher in high-irradiance markets such as Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Our TrueCapture® intelligent control system uses advanced sensors and real-time site data to continuously optimize tracker positioning and minimize energy losses.

Nextpower has a robust manufacturing and supply chain presence in India.  Is the company planning to localize or expand trackers, electrical balance of systems (eBOS), or other components?

Localization is a strategic pillar for us. Our 10 GW per annum of contracted manufacturing capacity in India, with more than 95% domestic content, demonstrates our long-term commitment to the market.

We are also helping drive the industry’s shift toward integrated power plant design by building solar systems as engineered, interconnected platforms rather than as collections of individual components. This improves installation consistency, reliability, and long-term performance at utility scale.

What are the typical operation and maintenance (O&M) costs associated with solar tracker systems over a project’s lifecycle?

Modern tracker technologies are designed to optimize O&M costs over the entire project lifecycle. Intelligent design, decentralized architecture, and predictive monitoring reduce maintenance interventions, downtime, and operating expenses.

Our NX Horizon platform uses an independent-row architecture that improves accessibility and simplifies maintenance. Our self-powered controller continues operating during grid outages, reducing manual intervention and improving plant resilience.

The platform also uses engineered fasteners to minimize routine maintenance requirements, while lithium-ion batteries offer a longer operating life. Combined with sensor-based diagnostics, intelligent software, and remote monitoring capabilities, these features help maximize plant uptime and energy production while lowering lifecycle O&M costs.

As India increasingly moves toward hybrid, round-the-clock (RTC), and storage-linked renewable projects, how is Nextpower adapting its technology portfolio to support these evolving requirements?

India’s pivot toward firm and dispatchable renewable energy, RTC, and storage-linked renewables is the most transformative structural shift in the utility-scale market in a decade, and it plays directly to the strengths of an integrated technology platform like ours.

We are bringing together trackers, eBOS, intelligent software, power conversion, and energy storage to build a unified platform. Our recent decision to acquire Prevalon Energy marks our entry into the battery energy storage system market.

What are the primary challenges in deploying solar trackers and integrated solar technologies in utility-scale projects, particularly in markets like India?

India has one of the most demanding environments for solar technology deployment worldwide. Securing large contiguous land parcels remains a key challenge while building a solar project in India, which significantly impacts project delivery timelines.

The lack of accurate site data, including soil conditions, wind speeds, corrosion rates, and other environmental factors, can influence system design and its long-term performance.

Dust and soiling are also significant concerns, particularly in arid regions, increasing cleaning requirements and O&M costs. Our systems are compatible with automated and robotic cleaning technologies that improve efficiency while reducing water usage.

What are the key technology trends shaping the future of solar tracking systems globally, and how relevant are these innovations for the Indian market?

Several converging technology trends are reshaping solar tracking globally, and India is well-positioned to benefit from them.  As utility-scale solar portfolios continue to scale, the industry is moving beyond simply deploying capacity towards maximizing long-term plant performance, uptime, and operational efficiency.

Robotics and AI are increasingly being used for autonomous inspection, predictive maintenance, fault detection, and performance optimization, helping reduce operating costs and boost asset reliability.

Terrain-following technology is equally relevant in India, where suitable flat land is becoming scarcer. Our NX Horizon-XTR platform enables deployment on undulating terrain, expanding project development opportunities while reducing civil works costs.

Nextpower has evolved from a solar tracker company to a broader integrated energy technology platform. How do you see the solar industry in India evolving over the next five to 10 years?

Nextracker recently rebranded to Nextpower, which underscores our evolution beyond trackers to deliver broader, system-level solutions.

Over the next decade, India’s solar industry will be defined by scale, complexity, and integration, and the company is uniquely positioned for such an environment. The scale dimension is staggering. India has a stated target of generating 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, with solar as the dominant technology.

From approximately 94 GW of installed solar capacity as of late 2024, the country needs to add roughly 40–50 GW per year over the next six years to stay on track.

This is an unprecedented pace of deployment that will stress every dimension of the supply chain, including modules, trackers, civil infrastructure, eBOS, grid connectivity, and O&M. Companies that can offer integrated solutions, local manufacturing, and genuine engineering depth will have a structural advantage over those selling individual components.