The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that it will not provide a blanket extension for the implementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II requirements for solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. However, the ministry has announced a limited transition period for certain renewable energy projects to help the industry adapt to the new domestic sourcing rules.
According to an official office memorandum issued from Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan on July 18, 2026, renewable energy projects developed under the Net-Metering and Open Access categories have been granted temporary relief. These projects will now be allowed to commission without complying with the ALMM List-II requirement until December 31, 2026. Earlier, the exemption for these projects was scheduled to end on May 31, 2026.
With this decision, developers working on eligible Net-Metering and Open Access projects will have additional time to complete their installations using existing supply chains. However, the ministry has made it clear that any such project commissioned after December 31, 2026, must use solar PV cells sourced only from manufacturers included in ALMM List-II. Compliance with these requirements will become mandatory from January 1, 2027.
The latest office memorandum replaces several earlier notifications issued by the ministry during May and June 2026 regarding the implementation of ALMM List-II. It also builds on previous guidelines released in 2024 and 2025, under which all Net-Metering and Open Access projects commissioning on or after June 1, 2026, were required to use solar PV modules listed under ALMM List-I and solar PV cells approved under ALMM List-II.
MNRE stated that the decision to grant a limited transition period was taken after detailed discussions with stakeholders from across the solar industry. The ministry said the extension is intended to safeguard investments that have already been made in ongoing projects while ensuring a smooth and orderly transition toward mandatory domestic sourcing of solar PV cells.
The ministry also reiterated that this is a one-time, project-specific relaxation and should not be interpreted as a general extension of the ALMM List-II implementation timeline. Developers are expected to prepare for full compliance after the revised deadline.
The office memorandum was issued by Sanjay G. Karndhar, Scientist-E, MNRE, with the approval of the Honorable Minister for New and Renewable Energy. The order has been circulated to all concerned stakeholders and uploaded on the ministry’s official website for immediate implementation.
“As the industry transitions towards mandatory domestic sourcing, ensuring adequate manufacturing capacity, consistent technology standards, and reliable supply availability will be critical to support the volume of upcoming projects without disrupting project economics or timelines. For large-scale C&I deployments in particular, cost competitiveness continues to remain a key decision-making factor, which makes balanced execution of the policy especially important.
The larger opportunity lies in using this phase not only to increase domestic production, but also to accelerate investments in manufacturing scale, technological advancement, and overall ecosystem competitiveness. If executed in a calibrated manner, the policy could become a strong long-term catalyst for both India’s energy security and its ambitions of becoming a globally competitive solar manufacturing hub.” — Karthik Raju, Executive Director, Atria Renewable
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