India has expanded its Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework to include solar wafers and ingots, extending government oversight deeper into the country’s solar manufacturing supply chain. The new rules will take effect on June 1, 2028, marking another step in India’s strategy to reduce reliance on imported solar components and strengthen domestic manufacturing. The ALMM framework already applies to solar modules and cells used in government-backed projects. Under the revised policy, developers of eligible projects, including net-metering and open-access installations, will also be required to source ALMM-compliant wafers once the new rules come into force.
The move signals a significant shift in India’s industrial policy. Rather than focusing solely on the final stages of solar manufacturing, the government is now targeting upstream production, where much of the industry’s value is created. Solar manufacturing begins with polysilicon, which is processed into ingots, sliced into wafers, converted into solar cells, and finally assembled into modules. While India has expanded module and cell production in recent years, much of the upstream supply chain has remained dependent on imports. The latest policy aims to close that gap by encouraging manufacturers to invest further upstream.
The government has also introduced conditions designed to promote fully integrated production. Manufacturers seeking inclusion on the approved wafer list will be required to maintain equivalent domestic ingot manufacturing capacity, ensuring that wafer production is supported by local upstream facilities. The government has indicated that the wafer list will only be notified once sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity has been established.
For project developers, the immediate impact is limited, with implementation still nearly two years away. However, the policy provides long-term certainty, allowing manufacturers, investors, and developers to adjust procurement strategies well before the compliance deadline. Projects bid after the effective date will need to incorporate ALMM-compliant wafers into their supply chains. For manufacturers, the policy creates a strong commercial incentive to expand domestic production beyond modules and cells into ingots and wafers. While that could strengthen India’s manufacturing ecosystem over the long term, it may also tighten sourcing options and increase compliance requirements during the industry’s transition.
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The announcement reflects a broader global trend in clean energy policy. Governments are increasingly using procurement rules, local-content requirements, and industrial incentives to build domestic manufacturing capacity while reducing exposure to concentrated global supply chains.
For India, the objective extends beyond energy security. By encouraging investment across the entire solar value chain, the country aims to position itself as a globally competitive manufacturing hub capable of supplying both domestic and international markets.
India’s solar strategy is evolving from expanding renewable deployment to building an integrated manufacturing ecosystem. Instead of protecting only module assembly, the government is now seeking to localize production from ingot to wafer, cell, and module, reinforcing its long-term ambition to become a major player in the global solar industry.
