Infrastructure
Swarajya Staff
Oct 23, 2026 | Updated 03:02 PM GMT+5:30
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Vikram Solar Limited is set to begin manufacturing solar cells at its 9 gigawatt (GW) facility in Gangaikondan, Tamil Nadu, in December 2026, marking a major step in the company’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported solar cells and establish an integrated domestic manufacturing chain.
In a regulatory disclosure on Friday (23 October), the company said its N-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing facility at SIPCOT Industrial Park in Tirunelveli district was on schedule to produce its first cells in December.
The full 9 GW capacity will be commissioned in phases thereafter.
The facility, among India’s largest single-site solar cell manufacturing projects, will eventually supply high-efficiency cells for the majority of Vikram Solar’s module production, reducing its reliance on imported components.
The company also plans to expand the plant’s cell manufacturing capacity to 12 GW.
The project forms the second phase of Vikram Solar’s integrated manufacturing roadmap at Gangaikondan, where a 6 GW solar module manufacturing facility was inaugurated in August 2026.
The third phase involves setting up a 9 GW ingot and wafer manufacturing facility, which has received board approval and is targeted for FY2028-29.
Once completed, the nearly 200-acre campus will bring together ingot, wafer, cell and module manufacturing, enabling the company to control more stages of the solar photovoltaic supply chain domestically.
The facility is being developed through Vikram Solar’s wholly owned subsidiary, VSL Green Power Private Limited, and is expected to generate more than 2,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.
According to the company’s announcement, the domestically manufactured cells will support solar modules supplied to utility-scale and rooftop projects, including installations under the PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM schemes where domestic content requirements apply.
Vikram Solar also intends to seek enlistment under the government’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II for cells produced at Gangaikondan.
Highlighting the importance of backward integration, Vikram Solar Chairman and Managing Director Gyanesh Chaudhary said Indian solar module manufacturers, including his company, had historically built their businesses around imported cells.
He said the Gangaikondan project would change that dependence for Vikram Solar by bringing cell manufacturing in-house, with the company’s longer-term roadmap extending from wafer production to finished modules.
The development comes as India seeks to strengthen domestic solar manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on imported components across the renewable energy supply chain.
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