(a) whether the Government proposes to review the policy for manufacturing of solar energy equipments and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government also proposes to make the said equipments cheaper so as to facilitate more and more use of it and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the quantum of funds spent on manufacturing of solar energy equipments under ‘Make in India’ initiative during the last year in Uttarakhand and Bundelkhand?
THE MINISTER OF NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER
(SHRI R.K. SINGH)
(a) To encourage domestic manufacturing of solar energy equipment, the Government has taken initiatives like mandating domestic content requirement in certain schemes/ programmes, scheme for production linked incentive for high efficiency solar PV modules, imposition of import duties with effect from April 1, 2022 etc. Government policy and programmes are revised, if needed, from time to time, based on feedback received from various stakeholders.
(b) Government is providing viability gap funding under CPSU Scheme Phase-II to make the cost of domestically manufactured solar PV cells and modules comparable with the imported ones. Further, in order to make domestically produced solar PV modules competitive, Government is implementing ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’, which provides financial incentives for high efficiency solar PV modules.
(c) Setting up of solar PV manufacturing facilities in India has been supported through capital subsidy under Special Incentive Package Scheme (SIPS) and Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. However, no solar PV manufacturing facility has been set up in Uttarakhand and Bundelkhand through financial support under SIPS/ M-SIPS schemes.
*****