Renewable energy in India: manufacturing and recycling require sustained support

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines India's capacity to manufacture and recycle renewable energy technologies. It highlights a heavy reliance on Chinese imports for solar PV components, a strong but underutilised domestic wind turbine industry, and the critical need to develop recycling infrastructure for minerals and components to secure future supply chains.

• India's solar PV manufacturing is significantly smaller than China's, with India holding only 1.9% of the global module manufacturing market in 2022 compared to China's 80%. India is heavily dependent on imports, with approximately 90% of PV modules sourced from China, and the top three suppliers (Jinko, LONGi, and Trina) are all Chinese.
• India has a robust domestic wind turbine industry, producing 70-80% of the turbines deployed within the country. While domestic demand is currently low, India is a major exporter of wind-related equipment, specifically to the US, where it was the largest exporter in 2022 with an estimated value of USD 518 million.
• India faces critical mineral vulnerabilities as it does not domestically produce cobalt, nickel, or lithium. Additionally, it relies on imports for approximately 35% of its aluminium and 20% of its copper, making the security of international supply chains essential for its energy transition.
• The volume of solar PV waste in India is projected to grow drastically, from nearly 600 kilotonnes by 2030 to nearly 19,000 kilotonnes by 2050. While India added solar panels to e-waste management rules in 2022 and uses an extended producer responsibility (EPR) system, specific recycling targets for PV waste are not currently applied.
• India's renewable energy targets are slipping; the goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable electricity capacity by 2030 has shifted to 2031-32 due to difficulties in driving sufficient deployment.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Renewable energy in India: manufacturing and recycling require sustained support. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewable-energy-in-india-manufacturing-and-recycling-require-sustained-support/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Renewable energy in India: manufacturing and recycling require sustained support. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewable-energy-in-india-manufacturing-and-recycling-require-sustained-support/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Renewable energy in India: manufacturing and recycling require sustained support |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=7 November 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewable-energy-in-india-manufacturing-and-recycling-require-sustained-support/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024renewable, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Renewable energy in India: manufacturing and recycling require sustained support}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewable-energy-in-india-manufacturing-and-recycling-require-sustained-support/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }