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					</table>The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) mandate for solar ingots and wafers will take effect on June 1, 2028. As India expands its upstream solar manufacturing capacity, the development of indigenous production equipment, skilled technical manpower, and process capabilities will be critical to building a self-reliant ingot-and-wafer ecosystem.
In an interview on the sidelines of Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026 held in New Delhi on July 1 and 2, Rajasekar Elavarasan, Founder and CEO of <a href="https://raana.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana Semiconductors</a>, and Avinash Kumar, Vice President – Technology, spoke about the company’s indigenous crystal-growth equipment, its planned 100 MW pilot facility, localization efforts, and the need for government support.
What does Raana Semiconductors manufacture?
We manufacture Czochralski (CZ) equipment for producing silicon ingots. The ingots are processed into wafers, which serve as the raw material for solar cells.
The equipment platform can serve both the semiconductor and solar industries. Semiconductor wafers are used for chip production, while solar wafers are used as substrates for cell manufacturing.
How much of the equipment is manufactured domestically?
A CZ system has more than 300 components. We began indigenizing the equipment nearly a decade ago, initially sourcing about 30%-40% of the components from India.
Localization has now reached around 60%-70%, helping us provide faster service and reduce customer downtime. We still import approximately 20% to 30% of the components, including certain critical materials.
Over the next three to four years, we expect to further reduce imports, with only around 10% of components continuing to come from overseas.
How does the ingot manufacturing process work?
Polysilicon is loaded into a quartz crucible inside the CZ furnace and melted at approximately 1,414 degrees Celsius. A seed crystal attached to a molybdenum wire is dipped into the molten silicon and gradually pulled upward. The cooling system and temperature difference help form a single-crystal silicon ingot, which can be around five meters long.
A production cycle is linked to the crucible’s lifetime of approximately 450 hours, during which multiple ingots can be produced.
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Does India have enough skilled personnel for ingot manufacturing?
India has very few professionals with practical experience in silicon ingot manufacturing. The process requires expertise in thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and crystal growth.
Structural loss during the pulling process can significantly affect production yield. Imported equipment generally produces around 180 kg of ingot per day.
With our indigenous equipment and advanced control systems, we are targeting approximately 200 kg per day. We have also developed intellectual property for controls designed to reduce structural losses, improve yield, and increase uptime.
How will ALMM List-III affect the market for ingot manufacturing equipment?
ALMM List-III is expected to require domestically manufactured ingots and wafers from June 2028. Companies have announced nearly 50-60 GW of ingot and wafer capacity.
At present, manufacturers setting up these facilities have limited options other than importing equipment, primarily from China.
However, imported equipment may not provide complete process support. After installation, manufacturers can struggle to ramp up production because India lacks adequately trained engineers.
How are you addressing the shortage of technical expertise?
We are establishing a 100 MW dedicated ingot pilot facility, with around half its capacity using our indigenous equipment.
The facility will provide hands-on training. Engineers will operate the equipment, pull ingots, understand the science behind crystal growth, and prepare to manage gigawatt-scale plants.
We expect our patented control systems to deliver around 15% higher yield than conventional imported equipment.
The facility will also support manufacturers with process recipes and continuous R&amp;D. Leading Chinese companies have dedicated R&amp;D facilities that constantly improve yield and reduce wafer costs. Indian manufacturers must develop similar capabilities to compete.
Can domestic equipment compete with Chinese systems on cost?
Manufacturers often focus on the initial equipment price, but operating losses can be much higher over the long term.
Once overseas engineers leave after commissioning, Indian teams may struggle to manage faults or process failures. If an ingot freezes inside the crucible, the resulting loss can exceed the savings from purchasing cheaper equipment.
Geopolitical issues can also affect servicing and spare-part availability. India cannot depend entirely on foreign equipment suppliers while attempting to compete with them in manufacturing.
Our equipment is currently estimated to be around 15% to 20% more expensive than comparable Chinese systems. Government support could help bridge this gap until domestic manufacturers achieve scale.
When will the pilot facility become operational?
The facility will be located in Hosur, near Bengaluru, and should be ready within eight to ten months.
It will be open to gigawatt-scale manufacturers. Companies can install their crystal pullers at the facility and use the existing furnace infrastructure and utilities.
This could reduce their capital and operating expenditure by nearly 50% while allowing them to begin operations and train engineers from the first day.
Should the government incentivize solar equipment manufacturing?
Government support is essential. Under the semiconductor program, the government has recognized that tool and material manufacturers are necessary for creating a complete ecosystem.
A similar approach is needed for solar manufacturing. We understand that funding or incentive programs for equipment manufacturers are being considered.
Indian companies operate at a fraction of the scale of Chinese suppliers. If the government provides around 30% support, our equipment could become cheaper than Chinese systems, even at one-tenth of their scale.
Is financing available for deep-technology companies?
This is not a conventional project-financing opportunity. Our platform can produce several single-crystal materials, including silicon, germanium, and certain oxide crystals. Our intellectual property covers both equipment and crystal-production processes.
We are seeking venture capital and government-backed deep-tech funding. Such technologies need patient capital because the R&amp;D period is long.
Once the technology is validated, growth can accelerate. Our revenue has increased by approximately three to four times, while our order pipeline represents an opportunity of nearly five to six times our current revenue.

Indigenous Solar Ingot Equipment Needs Policy Support: Interview

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					</table>The renewable energy industry believes there will be a shortage of solar cells over the next 12 months due to the ALMM List-II mandate, but strong domestic demand, policy support, and increasing backward integration will help stabilize the sector.
At a panel discussion &#8220;Closing the Gap: Building Integrated Solar Manufacturing Value Chain&#8221; at the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026</a>, panelists said the current supply chain imbalance should be viewed as a short-term transition rather than a structural problem.
The discussion was moderated by Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India.
Nimish Jain, Executive Vice President at <a href="https://www.vikramsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vikram Solar</a>, said solar module manufacturers are using this phase to move toward vertical integration, with many companies investing in solar cells, wafers, and eventually ingot manufacturing.
He felt that the ALMM mandate will filter out non-serious players. Export opportunities will open for those who consolidate their operations.
Amit Barve, CEO at <a href="https://rayzonsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rayzon Solar</a>, said that the manufacturing gap is evident, but seasonal demand patterns are helping moderate the short-term impact of limited domestic cell availability.
He noted that the second and third quarters traditionally witness lower solar installations, reducing immediate pressure on cell supplies. Many manufacturers have planned inventories and project pipelines that will help them navigate the evolving landscape over the next few months.
Barve also pointed out that the shortage is more pronounced for TOPCon cells, while mono PERC capacity remains available.
Panelists said that manufacturers are encouraging customers to remain technology-neutral where project economics permit, adding that market acceptance of alternative technologies has improved.
Cell Manufacturing Challenges
As India moves to comply with the ALMM-II mandate and ramps up cell manufacturing capacity, manufacturers point out that the transition will not be as smooth as building solar module capacity has been.
Prashant Choubey, President and Head of the green hydrogen/ammonia business at <a href="https://www.avaada.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avaada Group</a>, said that while module assembly was relatively straightforward, cell manufacturing requires significantly greater capital, technical expertise, specialized chemicals, gases, precision equipment, and long-term patient investment. “Cell manufacturing is capital-intensive, precision-intensive, and technology-intensive.&#8221;
Jain said that module manufacturing generally operates at 80% to 85% capacity utilization to remain competitive, while demand-side utilization for solar cells may exceed 90% over the next 12 to 18 months, although production ramp-up and stabilization will initially limit actual output.
Barve said technical manpower remains the single biggest obstacle facing India&#8217;s cell manufacturing expansion.
He estimated that establishing a solar cell manufacturing facility currently takes 18 to 24 months, compared with approximately 3 to 4 months for module manufacturing.
He attributed the longer timeline to installation complexity, commissioning, equipment optimization, and shortages of trained technical personnel.
Panelists said that while equipment suppliers provide standard operating parameters, Indian manufacturers must develop their own expertise to continuously improve efficiency, product quality, and manufacturing yields through research and development, a process that requires skilled talent.
They expect future projects to commission more quickly as manufacturers gain operational experience and learn from earlier installations.
Vertically Integrated Supply Chain
As vertically integrated players can be better insulated from market fluctuations, manufacturers say that project developers are increasingly prioritizing quality, bankability, traceability, and delivery reliability over lowest-cost procurement.
Choubey said vertical integration has become a strategic necessity because it improves supply chain resilience, product quality, and the certainty of project execution.
He also highlighted that several international developments affecting India&#8217;s manufacturing outlook, including production controls in China and evolving U.S. trade policies, have encouraged supply chain diversification.
He believes global procurement strategies will increasingly favor diversified regional manufacturing bases rather than concentrated sourcing from a single country.
Government Support
The solar industry wants government support to extend beyond modules and cells and encompass the broader supply chain.
Citing the example of silver paste, Jain said that it currently costs Indian manufacturers roughly 24% more due to import duties. Developing indigenous manufacturing of key materials and components, alongside cells and wafers, would complete India&#8217;s manufacturing ecosystem.
Module Demand Exceeds Manufacturing Capacity 
According to Mercom Research, India had approximately 193 GW of module manufacturing capacity and only 31 GW of cell manufacturing capacity as of May 2026. The country had only around 2 GW of wafer manufacturing capacity and no operational polysilicon production.
According to Mercom&#8217;s projections, module manufacturing capacity could nearly double by 2028 if all announced projects are commissioned.
Even by 2028, domestic cell production is expected to support only around 55% of planned module manufacturing capacity, while wafer, ingot, and polysilicon capacities continue to lag significantly.
All these trends signal a strong possibility of overcapacity, but solar manufacturers say the high manufacturing capacity is not significant relative to the pipeline of domestic demand.
Choubey said that demand from solar continues to rise and is expected to balance the supply chain. He added that utility-scale solar, commercial and industrial installations, and the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar program will continue driving installations.
Beyond these traditional markets, the panelists said that green hydrogen, data centers, and agricultural solarization are three major emerging drivers of demand.
Choubey said India&#8217;s demand projections often underestimate future solar deployment because they do not fully account for these sectors.
He elaborated that producing one million metric tons of green hydrogen would require approximately 30-35 GW of renewable energy, while more than 100 data centers approved in India could require 30-40 GW of electricity by 2030. Additionally, complete solarization across five major agricultural states could represent nearly a 200 GW opportunity.
Panelists also pointed out that newer procurement structures combining solar with storage are also significantly increasing demand for solar modules.
Choubey said a conventional solar project is typically oversized by 1.38 times the installed capacity, while solar-plus-storage projects require 1.8 times the installed capacity, and firm renewable power projects require nearly 2.8 times the installed capacity to meet dispatch obligations.
Import Dependence
As India expands into ingot and wafer manufacturing, the manufacturing sector needs to reduce its dependence on imported solar manufacturing equipment to develop a truly indigenous ecosystem.
Rajasekar Elavarasan, Founder and CEO at <a href="https://raana.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana Semiconductors</a>, said Chinese companies hold patents not just on equipment but also on manufacturing processes.
To address this gap, Raana Semiconductors will establish a pilot 100 MW shared ingot manufacturing facility, in which approximately 50% of the production equipment will be indigenous. The pilot plant will also use non-Chinese consumables, including crucibles, polysilicon, and hot-zone components wherever possible.
The facility will allow manufacturers to install pilot equipment, optimize process recipes, and train engineers before scaling commercial operations.
Elavarasan said the company plans to commercialize 12-inch ingot manufacturing equipment within eight months, while the shared pilot plant is expected to become operational within one year.
He added that India currently lacks dedicated standards for ingot manufacturing equipment itself, although ingot and wafer quality standards already exist.
He estimated that localizing the ingot equipment manufacturing vendor ecosystem could reduce the required capital investment to ₹1 billion–₹1.5 billion (~$11.6 million–$17.4 million), from the typical ₹2 billion–₹3 billion (~$23.3 million–$34.9 million).
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Manufacturers Expect Solar Cell Crunch to Not Last Beyond a Year

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					</table>India&#8217;s efforts to fast-track its clean energy transition and plan to achieve 500 MW in non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 hinge heavily on the resilience of its solar manufacturing value chain.
The government has been emphasizing the development of a fully self-reliant solar manufacturing ecosystem, from polysilicon, ingots, and wafers to cells and modules. India’s localization strategy, through initiatives like the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), has paid off in building out module manufacturing capacity, although cell manufacturing is yet to catch up.
The ALMM-II mandate for solar cells took effect this month, and similar mandates for domestic manufacturing of ingots and wafers will come into force from June 2028.
The country has been working to align energy security strategies with the development of a robust supply chain and reduce imports. Still, challenges such as technology gaps, a shortage of trained personnel, regulatory hurdles, and the need for substantial investment remain.
At the sixth edition of the Mercom India Renewables Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on July 1 and 2, 2026, experts from across the solar PV industry will gather to discuss strategies to strengthen the domestic solar manufacturing chain.
In the session titled &#8216;Closing the gap: Building Integrated Solar Manufacturing Value Chain&#8217;, panelists will brainstorm over the progress India has made in building its downstream capacity, boosting investment, and examining the funding, technology, and policy measures required to strengthen upstream integration. The session will be held on July 1 at the Oval Hall, Hyatt Regency.
The panel will feature Prashant Choubey, President and Head, Green Hydrogen/Ammonia Business at <a href="https://www.avaada.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avaada Group</a>; Amit Barve, CEO at <a href="https://rayzonsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rayzon Solar</a>; Rajasekar Elavarasan, Founder and CEO at <a href="https://www.raana.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana Semiconductors</a>, and Nimish Jain, Executive Vice President at <a href="https://www.vikramsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vikram Solar</a>.
The Summit will also feature the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/awards/mercom-india-awards-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Awards</a>, which recognize companies that are decoding the future of clean energy through impactful projects and solutions.
The event will also see the return of the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026/exhibitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewable Summit Expo</a>, where renewable energy companies can showcase their cutting-edge products and solutions to industry stakeholders.

Domestic Manufacturing Resilience Key to Success of India’s Solar Story

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