The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a comprehensive clarification regarding the applicability of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for solar PV cells. Through an Office Memorandum (O.M.) dated August 4, 2026, which follows the pivotal July 18, 2026, notification, the Ministry has demarcated specific compliance windows and exemption timelines across all solar project categories. These clarifications finalize the “limited window” for cell-level compliance, providing a transition period as domestic cell manufacturing capacity continues to scale.
Compliance Framework for Competitive Bid-Based Projects
For solar projects awarded through competitive bidding, MNRE has tied ALMM List-II (solar cells) compliance to bid submission deadlines and the status of those bids during specific policy shifts. The August 31, 2025, cut-off date was established specifically as it fell one month after the publication of the initial ALMM List-II on July 31, 2025.
- Projects with bid submission deadlines on or before August 31, 2025: These projects are exempt from mandatory ALMM List-II compliance, provided the bids were live as of July 28, 2025.
- Tenders submitted between December 9, 2024, and July 28, 2025: Projects in this window are governed strictly by their original tender conditions. If a specific tender explicitly mandated ALMM List-II compliance, those provisions remain valid and are not overridden by subsequent memoranda.
- Projects with bid submission deadlines after August 31, 2025: Compliance with ALMM List-II for solar PV cells is mandatory.
The Ministry emphasizes that the O.M. dated July 28, 2025, which amended the implementation dates, does not automatically relax explicit tender requirements established between December 2024 and July 2025.
Exemptions for Net-Metered and Open-Access Projects
The July 18, 2026, O.M. was issued in supersession of the May 25, 2026, order—which had initially denied a blanket extension—to provide a necessary runway for the industry. This has effectively granted a seven-month extension for net-metering and open-access renewable energy projects, moving the commissioning cut-off from May 31, 2026, to the end of the year.
- Commissioning Deadline: Projects in these categories must be commissioned on or before December 31, 2026, to qualify for the ALMM List-II exemption.
- Procedural Detail: MNRE clarified that no application through the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) DCR portal is required to avail of this specific cell exemption.
Crucially, while solar PV cells (List-II) receive these specific extensions, the requirement for ALMM List-I (Modules) remains mandatory and unchanged for all government-linked and net-metered projects.
Provisions for Rooftop Solar: Residential and Government Categories
Compliance requirements for rooftop installations vary significantly between subsidized residential projects and those located on government infrastructure.
Residential (PM-Surya Ghar)
Under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, residential consumers who opt for the “Give It Up” subsidy are granted an extended exemption. These projects are exempt from ALMM List-II (solar cells) until March 31, 2027, provided applications are submitted exclusively via the National Portal. Compliance with ALMM List-I for modules remains a prerequisite.
Government Buildings (Bidding-based)
For rooftop projects on government buildings awarded through competitive bidding, the Ministry defined four distinct compliance windows based on the date of bid submission:
- On or before December 9, 2024: Exempt from ALMM List-II (this date marks the original issuance of the implementation O.M. for solar PV cells).
- December 9, 2024 – July 28, 2025: Governed by the specific provisions contained in the original tender documents.
- July 28, 2025 – August 31, 2025: Exempt from ALMM List-II.
- After August 31, 2025: Mandatory compliance with ALMM List-II.
Government Buildings (Non-Bidding)
Government rooftop projects not awarded through a bidding process must be commissioned by December 31, 2026, to remain exempt from cell-level requirements.
Mandates for Behind-the-Meter (BTM) and Captive Installations
The Ministry applied a “harmonious reading” of previous orders to clarify the status of captive BTM projects, distinguishing between private and state-linked consumers.
- Private Consumers: For BTM solar plants used solely for captive consumption by private individuals or groups, neither ALMM List-I (modules) nor List-II (cells) applies.
- Government Entities and PSEs: Government projects were covered ab-initio in ALMM. For these entities, ALMM List-I (modules) is mandatory regardless of the timeline. However, they are exempt from ALMM List-II (cells) if the project is commissioned by December 31, 2026. Installations commissioned after this date must comply with both List-I and List-II.
Interaction with Domestic Content Requirements (DCR)
MNRE has officially stated that the latest ALMM clarifications do not interact with, relax, or dilute existing Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) provisions. DCR obligations are governed by the specific guidelines of respective government schemes. The Ministry maintains that ALMM O.M.s do not modify the mandatory usage of domestically manufactured components where such requirements are explicitly mandated ab-initio by scheme-specific norms.
Official Definitions and Reference List
Definition of Net-Metering
For the purpose of these mandates, “Net-Metering” is construed to cover all forms of grid interaction, including:
- Gross Metering
- Net Billing
- Net Feed-In
- Virtual Net Metering
- Group Net Metering
- Note: This definition specifically excludes Behind-the-Meter (BTM) connections.
Key Official Memoranda
The regulatory framework for these clarifications is based on the following official documents:
- O.M. No. 283/59/2024-GRID SOLAR: Dated December 9, 2024
- O.M. No. 283/59/2024-GRID SOLAR: Dated July 28, 2025 (Date of amendment)
- O.M. No. 283/63/2025-GRID SOLAR: Dated May 25, 2026
- O.M. No. 283/53/2026-GRID SOLAR: Dated July 18, 2026
- O.M. No. 283/54/2026-GRID SOLAR: Dated August 4, 2026
Official MNRE Policy Documents & Portals
- MNRE Office Memorandum No. 283/54/2026-GRID SOLAR (Dated: 4th August 2026)
- Topic: Detailed clarification on the applicability of ALMM List-II for solar PV cells across competitive bidding, rooftop solar, net-metering, open access, and behind-the-meter projects.
- Hyperlink: View/Download Official Memorandum (Mirror portal reference).
- MNRE Office Memorandum No. 283/53/2026-GRID SOLAR (Dated: 18th July 2026)
- Topic: Notification providing a limited transition window allowing net-metering and open-access projects commissioned by 31st December 2026 to be exempt from ALMM List-II (solar cells).
- Hyperlink: View/Download Official Memorandum (Mirror link reference).
- MNRE Office Memorandum F. No. 283/106/2017-GRID SOLAR (Dated: 10th July 2025)
- Topic: Clarification regarding ALMM compliance for behind-the-meter (BTM) connections used for captive consumption by government entities and public sector enterprises.
- MNRE Official ALMM Portal
- Topic: The official repository for the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (List-I for modules and List-II for cells) and primary policy updates.
- Hyperlink: MNRE Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM).
- MNRE Current Notices Page
- Topic: The central page where the Ministry publishes the latest revisions to ALMM lists and all official Office Memoranda.
- Hyperlink: MNRE Current Notices.
- PM Surya Ghar National Portal
- Topic: Official portal for residential rooftop solar applications under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, detailing subsidy and ALMM compliance terms.
- Hyperlink: PM Surya Ghar National Portal.
- NISE Solar DCR Portal
- Topic: The National Institute of Solar Energy portal used for verifying Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) and managing specific ALMM-related applications.
- Hyperlink: NISE DCR Portal.
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