India’s ambitious solar capacity expansion is being challenged by a surge in photovoltaic cell imports, exposing vulnerabilities in the supply chain despite government investment efforts and record installation growth.
India’s solar manufacturing push is being tested by a sharp rise in cell imports, even after the government and industry committed more than ₹1 lakh crore to build capacity across the supply chain, from polysilicon to finished cells. The Hindu BusinessLine said the latest figures show more than $3 billion worth of imported photovoltaic cells in FY 2025-26, a level that underscores how much of the country’s solar build-out still depends on overseas supply.
Business Today reported that the import bill climbed to $3,058.85 million in FY 2025-26, up 86% from the previous year, as India added a record 51 GW of solar in FY 2026. That surge points to a persistent gap between installation growth and domestic upstream capacity, particularly in wafers and polysilicon, where Chinese firms remain deeply embedded in the value chain.
The timing of the imports makes the trend more worrying. The Hindu BusinessLine noted that shipments between January and April 2026 alone totalled $1.37 billion, nearly triple the level seen in the same period two years earlier. Because solar cells are typically turned into modules within months, the inflow appears to be feeding current production rather than building strategic stockpiles, meaning local manufacturers are losing value added at the very stage that carries the most technology and jobs.
The concentration of supply is also a concern. According to the BusinessLine article, almost two-thirds of India’s solar cell imports over the past three years came from a single country, leaving the industry exposed to pricing pressure and supply-chain risk. That is why the industry body backing the piece is pressing for steady enforcement of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers for solar cells, along with domestic-content rules and a predictable procurement pipeline to keep investment flowing into the sector.
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