PVTIME – India’s first commercial-scale solar ingot and wafer manufacturing facility is set to be established in Andhra Pradesh, with ReNew Solar, a subsidiary of renewable energy giant ReNew Energy Global Plc, leading the investment and development. The project is expected to address a significant shortcoming in India’s solar industry and establish a robust industrial foundation to help the country achieve its 2030 target of 300GW of installed solar capacity.
Located in the Ramabilli district of the Anakapalle region in Andhra Pradesh, the facility will require an investment of 399 billion Indian rupees and will be designed to produce 6GW. A clear construction timeline has been confirmed, with civil works scheduled for completion by March 2026, and full-scale commercial operations set to commence in January 2028. The hub will cover an area of 130 to 140 acres and, once operational, will create 1,200 direct and indirect jobs, a significant proportion of which will be skilled and semi-skilled roles. This is expected to foster a local talent pool specialising in solar manufacturing. The facility will require a continuous daily supply of 95MW of power and 10 million litres of water, which will put pressure on the region’s energy and water resource allocation capabilities.
Data shows that India currently relies on imports for 82% of key solar components, such as ingots and wafers. Chinese suppliers dominate the global solar wafer market, accounting for over 95%, and are therefore the main source of India’s imports in this segment. Indian government officials emphasised that the project is closely aligned with the national renewable energy development strategy, stating that it will directly increase domestic solar manufacturing capacity and resolve bottleneck issues in the industry. In recent years, Andhra Pradesh has advanced supportive policies for the new energy sector, having previously introduced regulations related to battery energy storage systems to build a stable power grid and provide a favourable industrial environment for the project.
Industry experts analyse that the completion and operation of this manufacturing facility will have multiple strategic significance. It will improve India’s domestic solar manufacturing ecosystem, drive the coordinated integration of downstream segments such as batteries and modules, and significantly enhance the stability and resilience of the clean energy supply chain. It will also establish Andhra Pradesh as one of India’s core new energy manufacturing hubs, likely accelerating the aggregation of investment in supporting industries and logistics infrastructure. As an important manufacturing layout under ReNew Energy, the project continues the company’s expansion. The firm already operates multiple solar module and battery factories in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and this new facility will further strengthen its vertically integrated industrial chain.
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