Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has invited bids from solar power developers to set up 700 MW of inter-state transmission system (ISTS) connected solar PV projects in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or areas designated as Export Oriented Units (EOUs). The tender, listed as C&I-1, will be run through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) with an electronic reverse auction. According to SECI’s tender page, online bids close on 30 October 2026 at 6:00 p.m., and bids will be opened on 4 November 2026.
Key dates published by SECI
- Tender publication: 3 September 2026
- Pre-bid meeting: 14 September 2026, 2:30 p.m.
- Online bid submission ends: 30 October 2026, 6:00 p.m.
- Offline bid submission ends: 3 November 2026, 6:00 p.m.
- Bid opening: 4 November 2026, 10:00 a.m.
What the tender covers
SECI’s tender page gives the following details:
- Scope: selection of solar power developers for setting up 700 MW of ISTS-connected solar PV power projects in SEZs or areas designated as EOUs of India under tariff-based competitive bidding.
- Tender type: online, with an e-reverse auction.
- Tender ID and references: SECI000278; reference number SECI/C&P/IPP/15/0009/26-27; ETS portal reference SECI-2026-TN000027.
- Cost of the Request for Selection (RfS) document: listed as 59,000 on SECI’s page. The tender fee or bid processing fee, earnest money deposit (EMD) and performance bank guarantee (PBG) are listed as “as per RfS document”, so their amounts are in the RfS and are not repeated here.
Documents and updates
The tender page lists the RfS for 700 MW SPV projects (C&I), a draft power purchase agreement (PPA), a power supply agreement (PSA), an integrity pact and a pre-bid query format, all uploaded on 3 September 2026. SECI also uploaded pre-bid clarifications and an amendment (Amendment 01) on 13 October 2026. Two related notices are listed on the page: a pre-bid meeting notification dated 7 September 2026 and a stakeholder meeting notification dated 6 October 2026. Bidders should read the amendment and the clarifications, because the dates and terms in the original RfS may have changed.
The tender page does not state the minimum or maximum capacity per bidder, any tariff ceiling or the location of the projects. These details are in the RfS document, which VYQON has not reproduced here.
What it means for India’s clean-energy sector
This tender is aimed at projects serving SEZs and EOUs, which are export-oriented zones, and is structured as a commercial and industrial (C&I) tranche, as the “C&I-1” label shows. The listing of both a PPA and a PSA among the documents indicates that SECI’s role, as with its other competitive bidding rounds, is to contract the capacity and supply it onward. For developers, the combination of a large ISTS-connected capacity and an e-reverse auction means price competition at the bid stage, while the 30 October deadline and the amendment issued on 13 October leave a short window to finalise bids.
VYQON will report the outcome of the auction when SECI publishes it.
Official references
- Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited, tender details, “700 MW ISTS-Connected Solar PV Power Projects in India under TBCB (C&I-1)”, Tender ID SECI000278: https://www.seci.co.in/tender-details/YmV_
- Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited, tenders list: https://www.seci.co.in/tenders
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