India added 50.6 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity and 9.7 GW of solar cell capacity during the first half of 2026, even as domestic cell availability emerged as a constraint for manufacturers and project developers, according to Mercom India.
The country’s cumulative solar module manufacturing capacity reached 261.7 GW as of June 2026, while solar cell manufacturing capacity stood at 36.6 GW, according to Mercom India’s State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 1H 2026 report.
The expansion in module manufacturing has outpaced the availability of domestically manufactured cells, tightening the supply of compliant modules and affecting project activity.
Cumulative module capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-I stood at 225.5 GW, while solar cell capacity under ALMM List-II was nearly 35.5 GW.
Solar Cell Imports Rise As Domestic Supply Lags
India’s imports of solar cells and modules increased 18 per cent during the first half of 2026 compared with the corresponding period of 2025. Solar cells accounted for 81 per cent of total imports, while modules represented 19 per cent.
Gujarat remained the country’s largest solar module manufacturing hub, accounting for nearly 45 per cent of capacity as of June 2026. Rajasthan had 26.1 GW of module manufacturing capacity, followed by Tamil Nadu with 23.4 GW.
Gujarat also accounted for the largest share of annual solar cell production capacity at 37 per cent. Tamil Nadu and Telangana followed with 4.3 GW and 4.2 GW, respectively.
Solar module manufacturing remained relatively concentrated, with the top 10 manufacturers accounting for 60 per cent of total capacity.
Among technologies listed under ALMM, Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) accounted for 80 per cent of module manufacturing capacity as of June. Monocrystalline PERC/TOPCon represented 11 per cent, Mono PERC 4 per cent, heterojunction technology 3 per cent and thin-film technology 2 per centi
The US remained the largest destination for India’s solar exports during the first half of 2026, accounting for 92 per cent of total exports.