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					</table><p>The Competition Commission of India (<a href="https://www.cci.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CCI</a>) has approved the proposed merger of the renewable energy business of Gujarat-based solar components manufacturer Vishakha Renewables (<a href="https://vishakharenewables.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VRPL</a>) with its solar glass manufacturing division, Vishakha Glass.</p>
<p>The proposed restructuring entails the transfer and vesting of VRPL&#8217;s pipes and moldings divisions to Progressive Pipes (PPPL) on a slump sale basis.</p>
<p>Additionally, VRPL had proposed merging its solar panel component division, Vishakha Renewables 1; its aluminum frame manufacturing division for solar panels, Vishakha Metals; and its metal components manufacturing division, Vishakha Metals 1, into VRPL.</p>
<p>VRPL is engaged in manufacturing solar system components, such as high-grade, potential-induced degradation-resistant ethylene-vinyl acetate, encapsulants, and backsheets.</p>
<p>At the Mercom India Summit 2025, Vishakha Group’s Ajay Shah said that while India produces about 12 GW of solar glass annually, demand already exceeds 25 GW and is growing. Vishakha also plans to triple its glass manufacturing capacity by 2026, he said.</p>
<p>In March, based on a complaint by Vishakha Glass and Borosil Renewables, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/dgtr-recommends-extending-cvd-on-malaysian-solar-glass-for-five-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> continuing countervailing duties for five years on imports of textured toughened solar glass from Malaysia.</p>
<p>According to Mercom India’s newly <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/india-posts-historic-solar-growth-with-36-6-gw-installed-in-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> Q4 and Annual 2025 India Solar Market Update Report, the country recorded its highest-ever annual solar capacity addition in the calendar year 2025, installing 36.6 GW, a 43% increase over the 25.6 GW added in 2024.</p>
<p>According to Mercom Capital Group’s 2025 Annual and Q4 Solar Funding and M&amp;A Report, merger and acquisition activity was 17% <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/corporate-solar-funding-down-16-yoy-in-2025-deal-count-rises-ma-robust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher</a> YoY in 2025, with 96 corporate M&amp;A transactions, up from 82 in 2024.</p>
<p>Recently, the CCI <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/competition-regulator-clears-adani-group-in-solar-tender-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> allegations of bid rigging, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive conduct in a case involving Adani Group entities, Azure Power, and the Solar Energy Corporation of India.</p>
<p>In March, the CCI <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cci-approves-blackrocks-subscription-of-abrens-equity-shares" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> Singapore-based Global Infrastructure Partners EM Star‘s subscription to Aditya Birla Renewables’ equity shares worth $335 million.</p>


CCI Clears Restructuring of Solar Components Manufacturer Vishakha Renewables


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					</table><p>Indian solar ancillary component manufacturers have urged the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) to mandate the use of domestically manufactured solar components in government projects to create a robust local supply chain and reduce the reliance on imports.</p>
<p>To promote local manufacturing of solar components in the face of &#8216;rampant dumping&#8217; of components originating from China and Vietnam routed through FTA (free trade agreement) countries, the Solar Ancillary Manufacturers&#8217; Association (SAMA) has suggested an ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers for solar modules)-type mandate for solar components.</p>
<p>These ancillary components comprise solar glass, encapsulants, copper conductors, aluminum frames, and junction boxes. &#8220;If not 100%, there should be a mandate for the use of at least 70% of the requirement from local manufacturers of these components,&#8221; Avinash Hiranandani, Managing Director, RenewSys India and SAMA director, told Mercom India.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mandating such a domestic content requirement will bode well for the entire solar manufacturing ecosystem,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>RenewSys is a manufacturer of encapsulants, backsheets, and solar modules.</p>
<p>Currently, only solar glass has some protection against imports in the form of a 10% customs duty <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/india-2024-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in the Union Budget 2024. Local solar component manufacturers say the other segments of the solar supply chain also deserve a cushion against cheap imports in the form of tariff and non-tariff barriers.</p>
<p>At a recent post-results earnings conference call, Borosil Renewables Executive Chairman Pradeep K. Kheruka and SAMA Director said the demand for solar components, including solar glass, has increased with the manufacturing capacity of solar modules in India touching 65 GW and poised to cross 100 GW in the next two to three years. The use of locally produced modules had risen sharply, thanks to the ALMM mechanism.</p>
<p>Even while an <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/dgtr-anti-dumping-probe-solar-glass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a> is on by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (<a href="https://www.dgtr.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DGTR</a>) into the dumping of textured tempered coated and uncoated glass originating from China and Vietnam, Chinese exports have dropped their prices further, according to Kheruka. He expects a decision and preliminary findings of the investigation in the next few months.</p>
<p>&#8220;For the domestic solar glass producers, getting ADD (anti-dumping duty) and CVD (countervailing duty) remains extremely important to assure industrial expansion,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Regarding the need for an association of ancillary manufacturers, Kheruka said the government&#8217;s focus has been on solar cells and modules. &#8220;But there are many other products you need to complete the production of a solar module. There are glass makers, people who make encapsulants, backsheets, junction boxes, aluminum frames, copper conductors, etc.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hiranandani said the MNRE is yet to reply to the association&#8217;s representation.</p>


Manufacturers Seek ALMM-Type Mandate for Solar Ancillary Components

<p>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has begun implementing a quality control order that requires manufacturers to register with the Bureau of Indian Standards for the use of a “Standard Mark” to comply with the Indian quality standard.</p>
<p>The order, titled “Solar Photovoltaics/Systems/Devices/Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017” is scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2018. The MNRE has asked stakeholders to provide views and comments by November 28, 2017.</p>
<p>The order was initially slated to come into force on September 5, 2018, one year after its date of publication in the Official Gazette of the Government of India. However, the MNRE shortened the waiting period to speed up the start of order enforcement. The draft technical regulation for the order was first released in August 2016.</p>
<p>Speaking about the order, an <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-issues-new-order-crackdown-solar-component-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE official previously told Mercom</a>, “This is a necessary step, we have been hearing from stakeholders that project quality should improve, and this order will take care of the quality of materials utilized.” The official added that the order is also expected to stop the supply of below-par modules and other supplies to India and increase the project capacity utilization factor (CUF).</p>
<p>When asked why the order is being enforced nine months ahead of its original commencement date of September 5, 2018, the same MNRE official said, “Not much tendering has been done in the past few months, in the new financial year all developers and tendering agencies will plan their market strategies, it’s better that the policy is in place before a flurry of activity begins.”</p>
<p>The MNRE official went on to say that implementing the order before the start of the next fiscal year will give all stakeholders ample time to understand its implications and adjust accordingly.</p>
<p>Of late, the MNRE has been tying up loose ends in an effort to improve project quality. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-clarifies-dc-solar-systems-guidelines-off-grid-grid-connected-applications/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recently</a>, the MNRE also issued a clarification for the DC system configurations applicable to off-grid and grid-connected solar PV applications.</p>
<p>All of this activity comes as some developers are cutting corners to make project economics work in the current highly competitive auction environment. There is concern in the industry that many of these projects may not last 10 years, let alone the full length of their 25-year PPAs.</p>


MNRE Implements Quality Control Measures to Address Low Quality Solar Equipment

<p>There is still a lot of confusion around GST for solar systems, which has created a lot of uncertainty in the solar sector. Tender activity has come to a standstill and nobody wants to sign new PPAs without knowing what the final GST rates are.</p>
<p>To provide some clarity to the sector we previously spoke with multiple sources in the MNRE who gave us the GST rate list last week and categorically confirmed that these numbers were final. MNRE has now published a memo asking the industry for feedback implying the GST rates are still not final.</p>
<p>Seeing the possible negative effects on the sector from a GST rate higher than 5 percent, the MNRE is now recommending that GST rates for all solar components should be at 5 percent. The GST council has pushed this recommendation to the Revenue Department.</p>
<p>As of now we are told that nothing is final and there is a lot of ambiguity and incoherence on this topic.</p>
<p>An MNRE official said, “These were the rates that have been suggested to the MNRE and based on that we came up with cost escalation. Initially there was not much clarity regarding the GST rates for solar, so we thought general rates specified under the various tax slabs will apply. While at the same time, the GST council was carrying on discussions regarding rates for the renewable energy sector.”</p>
<p>We were told again that final rates will be announced soon. The whole Indian solar sector is waiting with its fingers crossed.</p>
<p><em>Image Credit: By Tiven Gonsalves (Own work) [<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>], via Wikimedia Commons</em></p>


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