India bars imported diffused wafers in domestic solar PV schemes

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) norms for solar cell manufacturing. According to these norms, solar cells made from imported diffused silicon wafers, commonly referred to as blue wafers, will not be eligible for MNRE schemes and programs. These schemes require the use of domestically manufactured solar PV cells. According to MNRE, a crystalline-silicon solar PV cell will only be considered domestically produced if it is manufactured in India using an undiffused silicon wafer, known as a black wafer. This wafer must be classified under Customs Tariff Head 3818, with all essential manufacturing processes completed within the country. Thin-film solar PV modules manufactured in integrated Indian factories continue to qualify for projects under its schemes. These projects require DCR modules, meaning the solar PV modules must be made with PV cells produced domestically.