The Union government has issued an order to include solar cells in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) starting 1 June 2026 to promote domestic production.

Solar cells, essential for producing solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, were previously excluded from the ALMM, allowing manufacturers to import cells for use in solar module assembly in India.

Currently, the ALMM mandate requires solar projects awarded by central nodal agencies and state distribution utilities to procure PV modules solely from India-based manufacturers listed in the ALMM. This policy was introduced after domestic manufacturers sought government support to counter competition from low-cost imports.

With this new directive, starting in June 2026, the ALMM mandate will also extend to solar cells, requiring them to be sourced exclusively from approved domestic manufacturers.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in an order issued on 9 December evening, said, “With the installed capacity of solar PV cells in the country expected to increase substantially in the next year, it has been proposed to issue List-II of solar PV cells under ALMM, which shall be effective from 1 June, 2026.”

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) clarified that the ALMM order from January 2019 included provisions for listing both solar modules and cells. However, the list for solar cells was not issued at the time due to insufficient domestic cell production capacity to meet demand.

In September, the ministry released draft guidelines proposing that the inclusion of solar cells in the ALMM would take effect from April 2026. However, the final order issued on 9 December revised the implementation date to 1 June 2026.

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