This is what MNRE has been doing during lockdown to push RE manufacturing

• The ministry has written to various state governments and various port authorities to identify land parcels of 50-500 acres for setting up such parks

• These parks will manufacture equipments like silicon ingots and wafers, solar cells and modules, wind equipments and other ancillary items

New Delhi: In order to promote self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imports, the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) has initiated action towards setting up new RE (renewable energy) manufacturing parks which will produce equipments required by the sector in the country to meet domestic demand and also cater to global demand, the MNRE said on Saturday.

With this objective in view, the ministry has written to various state governments and various port authorities to identify land parcels of 50-500 acres for setting up such parks. Tuticorin Port Trust, States of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have already expressed a keen interest in setting up RE Manufacturing Parks.

MNRE seeks global investors for RE manufacturing parks

MNRE Secretary Anand Kumar has already held meetings with RE manufacturing companies last week. The ministry has also got in touch with Trade Commissioners/representatives of various countries, inviting them to invest in this promising opportunity in India. Kumar has also addressed the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum earlier this week through Webinar and sought collaboration and investment by US Firms.

What will these hubs do?

These parks will manufacture equipments like silicon ingots and wafers, solar cells and modules, wind equipments and ancillary items like back sheet, glass, steel frames, inverters, batteries etc. At present, the country has around 10 GW of wind equipment manufacturing capacity. In case of solar cells and modules, India imports about 85 percent from abroad. To incentivise domestic manufacturing, the government has already announced provisions to enable levying of basic customs duty on the import of solar cells and modules, which come mainly from China.

'An opportune time for India'

"It may be stated that at a time when many companies are planning to shift their manufacturing base from China, it is an opportune time for India to bring policy changes for facilitating and catalysing manufacturing in India. In tune with this, the MNRE has set up RE Industry Facilitation and Promotion Board to facilitate investment in RE the sector. The ministry has also strengthened the clauses in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to boost investor confidence. The three Power and RE Sector NBFCs, namely PFC, REC and IREDA, have reduced their repayment charges to 2 percent for enhancing the fund availability for new projects in the sector. Moreover, IREDA has brought out a new scheme for project-specific funding to promote RE manufacturing in India," the MNRE said.