As a result, Chinese companies are testing several emerging technologies with significantly higher efficiencies compared to modules which are currently in production
By Kaavya Chandrasekaran, Economic Times Energy World
BENGALURU: The gap between solar manufacturing in India and China has been increasing with leading Chinese manufacturers making aggressive investments in capacity expansion and new technology, according to a recent report by renewable energy consultancy firm, Bridge To India.
“Long-term viability of the Indian manufacturing sector depends on its capacity to compete with leading Chinese manufacturers on cost of production, scale and technology,” the report on solar manufacturing said. It also noted that it would be challenging for Indian manufacturers to bridge the cost disadvantage with the Chinese players. “Indian companies are banking mainly on tariff barriers and incentives in form of capital and/or operating cost subsidies,” it said. The biggest risks they face are those of policy uncertainty and lack of in-house technology.
Indeed the Indian government attempted to address the policy uncertainty issue when it announced earlier this year that it would impose a basic customs duty on solar cells and modules as part of the bigger “Make In India” scheme. But the industry is growing impatient because the government has not provided any details such as a timeline since then, although the announcement was made in June.
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