Markets & Policy

Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2026–27, stakeholders across India’s solar and energy storage ecosystem have urged the government to focus on tax reforms, expansion of production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes with targeted allocations, faster viability gap funding (VGF) disbursements, additional funding for residential rooftop solar, improved access to long-term and affordable green finance, and a stronger push for circular economy initiatives and grid modernisation.

End-to-end solar manufacturing is the bridge that will reduce import reliance, stabilize costs, strengthen supply chains, support exports, and help India move confidently toward its 500 GW renewable energy goal. With the right investments and a continued focus on innovation, India is positioned not just to participate in the solar revolution, but to help shape it.

India’s first and largest publicly listed power sector Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), IndiGrid, has successfully raised INR 1,500 crore through an institutional placement (IP). The placement was oversubscribed by around two times and saw strong participation from both domestic and global institutional investors.

Cash grants and state-backed loans to support solar and battery storage installations in millions of UK homes as part of government Warm Homes Plan. UK government says investment has the potential to triple the number of homes with rooftop solar by 2030.

Despite strong industry interest, India’s Advanced Chemistry Cell Production Linked Incentive (ACC PLI) scheme, launched in October 2021, is yet to translate policy ambition into realised capacity. As of October 2025, only 2.8% (1.4 GWh) of the targeted 50 GWh capacity has been commissioned within the stipulated timeline, entirely by Ola Electric—according to a new report by JMK Research and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

While global solar corporate funding in 2025 fell to the lowest level recorded since 2020, deal count rose to its highest level since 2017. Mercom Capital Group says investors favored smaller, lower-risk, execution-ready projects last year amid policy uncertainty, trade pressures and higher financing costs.

China’s PV manufacturing sector is operating at full capacity ahead of an April 1 export tax change, contributing to module price increases of 20% to 30% in parts of the supply chain and raising risks for price-sensitive European commercial and utility-scale projects in early 2026.

Aerem Solutions, an end-to-end platform for distributed solar, has raised $15 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC).

United Solar Holding has secured more than $900 million to complete the financing required for its 100,000 MT polysilicon manufacturing facility in Oman. Production is expected to begin during the first quarter of this year.

The European Commission is revising its Cybersecurity Act. While presenting the proposals in European Parliament, the commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said dependency on a very limited number of solar inverter suppliers could “pose a significant security risk.”