The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Ministry of Power, along with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), has announced a webinar on advanced photovoltaic technologies with a special focus on solar cell engineering. The event is scheduled for September 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. and aims to bring together key stakeholders from academia, research institutions, government, industry, developers, and venture capitalists to discuss the future of solar energy technologies in India.
The main purpose of the webinar is to promote collaborative research and innovation to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation solar technologies. Technologies under discussion will include perovskite, tandem, bifacial, TOPCon, and quantum dot solar cells, all of which have the potential to push solar cell efficiency far beyond conventional limits. For example, tandem solar cells, which use multi-junction designs, have already demonstrated the ability to achieve more than 30% efficiency, a significant leap compared to the 18–24% efficiency range of conventional silicon-based solar cells.
Several premier Indian institutions, such as the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), IITs in Bombay, Delhi, Roorkee, and Bhilai, Chitkara University, the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE), and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), are actively working on these technologies. Their research includes hybrid heterojunction solar cells as part of perovskite-silicon tandem architectures, which could provide efficiencies around 28% at significantly lower costs. If successfully commercialized, such innovations can play a key role in reducing land requirements for solar projects, enhancing overall power generation, and boosting India’s competitiveness in renewable energy.
The annexure to the notification highlights the economic benefits of even small efficiency gains. A 1% improvement in solar cell efficiency, applied across 100 GW of capacity, could generate approximately ₹2,190 crores in additional annual revenue, assuming a cost of ₹2.5 per unit of electricity. This underscores the direct financial impact of innovation in PV technologies.
Key areas of discussion will include improving precision in solar cell measurements, expanding the adoption of bifacial modules that capture sunlight from both sides, advancing tandem and TOPCon solar cell technologies, and exploring new innovations like vertical panel installations. The webinar will also address critical questions such as the readiness levels of these technologies, the cost-effectiveness of tandem solar cells, challenges in fabrication, indigenous development of materials, and the extent of foreign collaboration or technology transfer.
The program will feature opening remarks by senior officials from the CEA and MNRE, followed by presentations from experts, including professors from IIT Bombay and IIT Roorkee, representatives from NSEFI, Surya Sparks Solutions, and other industry leaders. A question-and-answer session will provide space for interactive engagement with the participants.
Through this initiative, the government seeks to strengthen the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by making India not just a large market for solar energy but also a global leader in cutting-edge photovoltaic research and innovation. By bringing academia, industry, and government together, the webinar is expected to outline a clear pathway for scaling advanced solar technologies that will help India optimize land use, enhance renewable capacity, and achieve technological self-reliance in the solar sector.
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