According to www.hindustantimes.com, India is preparing a new production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme specifically for polysilicon — the high-purity silicon essential for solar cell manufacturing — aiming to build 30 GW of domestic capacity by 2030.
Strategic push to close upstream gaps
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi stated last month that the government targets at least 30 GW of domestic polysilicon capacity by 2030, an initiative expected to attract approximately ₹ 25,000 crore in investment. He noted that building one gigawatt of polysilicon capacity — including metallurgical-grade silicon infrastructure — costs about ₹ 850 crore. This dedicated scheme follows an earlier PLI round covering polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules, which is projected to deliver only limited upstream output.
Current import dependence and installed capacity
India’s reliance on imported polysilicon stands at nearly 100%, while wafer import dependence exceeds 90%, according to a NITI Aayog report. As of June 2026, India’s installed solar capacity reached 162 GW, making it the country’s largest source of renewable power. The nation added 37 GW of solar capacity in 2025, ranking second globally behind China’s 315 GW and ahead of the US’s 34 GW, per the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Geopolitical and industrial rationale
A NITI Aayog report published on August 13 — titled Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub — identifies China’s dominance in polysilicon production as both a supply-chain and national-security risk. The report states China held 93–98% of global installed and new polysilicon production capacity in 2024, along with 95% of wafer capacity, 91% of cell capacity, and 82% of module capacity. The government has already committed ₹ 240 billion in PLI outlays for solar modules and cells — a scale comparable to the planned 30 GW polysilicon buildout.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
