Solar Manufacturing Crisis Threatens India’s 2030 Renewable Energy Goals

Indian makers of solar panels are facing severe disruptions as they struggle to replace Chinese imports with domestic components, leading to factory shutdowns and job losses. The government’s push for increased domestic manufacturing has caused waits of up to eight months for crucial components, impacting nearly a third of India’s small- and medium-sized solar panel makers. Icon Solar’s chairman, Shailendra Shukla, highlighted the challenges, stating a significant production shrinkage from 3.2 GW to 1 GW due to cell unavailability. The All India Solar Module Manufacturers Association revealed that many manufacturers have halted production, while others are operating at reduced capacity…