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By PNN | Updated: October 26, 2026 14:10 IST2026-10-26T19:39:04+5:302026-10-26T14:10:03+5:30
An exclusive interview withPawan Kumar Garg, Chairman & Joint Managing Director, Fujiyama Power Systems Ltd.
India’s rooftop solar market is evolving as rising electricity consumption, increasing cooling requirements and growing awareness of energy independence reshape consumer priorities. Government initiatives such as the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana have further encouraged residential adoption, opening up opportunities beyond metropolitan markets.
As the industry matures, consumers are looking beyond solar panels alone, seeking integrated solutions that combine power generation, energy storage, reliability and long-term service support. In this exclusive interview, Pawan Kumar Garg, Chairman & Joint Managing Director of Fujiyama Power Systems Ltd., shares his perspective on India’s changing rooftop solar landscape, emerging consumer preferences, the growing role of battery storage and the opportunities presented by domestic manufacturing.

Rising Temperatures and Rooftop Solar Demand

With above-normal temperatures expected across several parts of India and cooling demand remaining a concern, how are changing weather patterns influencing consumer interest in rooftop solar and power backup solutions?
Prolonged summer heatwaves and rising temperatures have driven residential and commercial cooling loads to record levels across India. This surge places tremendous stress on the grid, leading to frequent voltage fluctuations and power cuts during peak daytime hours—exactly when cooling demand is highest.
As a result, consumer perception has fundamentally shifted. Solar is no longer viewed merely as an eco-friendly alternative or a seasonal backup; it is now recognized as an essential energy management asset. Rooftop solar generates maximum power precisely during peak sunlight hours when air conditioners and cooling equipment run at full capacity. By offsetting daytime grid consumption and providing reliable backup through solar power conditioning units (PCUs), households can maintain uninterrupted cooling while insulating themselves against surging summer electricity bills.

Sustaining the Momentum of Residential Solar Adoption

The PM Surya Ghar programme has accelerated residential rooftop solar adoption, but sustaining this momentum remains important. What more needs to be done to encourage households across India to adopt solar energy?
The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has been a game-changer, transforming rooftop solar into a grassroots movement across the country. Central Financial Assistance (CFA) and streamlined bank financing have significantly lowered the entry barrier for millions of families.
To sustain and accelerate this momentum, we need a synchronized four-pillar approach:

1. Streamlined DISCOM Processes: Standardizing net-metering approvals and meter testing timelines across all state utilities is critical to eliminating post-installation delays.
2. Accessible Local Financing: Extending low-interest, collateral-free solar financing deeper into Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural areas through local cooperative banks and NBFCs will reach households beyond metro coverage.
3. Quality and Standard Enforcement: Ensuring strict adherence to Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) rules and high manufacturing standards guarantees that consumers receive durable, high-yielding systems.
4. Consumer Awareness and After-Sales Trust: Expanding grassroots campaigns around system lifetime value, net-metering economics, and regular maintenance will give first-time buyers full confidence in their investment.

Hybrid Inverters and Battery Storage

As households and businesses look for reliable power beyond daylight hours, how do you see the demand for hybrid inverters and battery storage evolving? How is Fujiyama preparing to address these changing requirements?
Daytime solar generation solves half the energy equation; managing peak evening demand and grid instability solves the rest. As grid tariffs evolve and consumers seek round-the-clock power reliability, demand is rapidly shifting from basic grid-tied systems to hybrid inverters and energy storage systems (ESS). Hybrid inverters provide the ultimate flexibility, intelligently routing power between solar panels, the grid, and battery storage based on real-time loads and tariffs.
At Fujiyama Power Systems, we have anticipated this transition:

• Advanced Hybrid Portfolio: We offer smart hybrid inverters ranging up to 50 kVA, equipped with intelligent energy management algorithms and patented technologies like our rMPPT (Rapid Maximum Power Point Tracking) to maximize battery charging efficiency.
• Integrated Battery Manufacturing: To complement our inverter range, we are increasing our battery manufacturing capacity by adding a 3 GWh lithium-ion battery manufacturing line alongside our solar cell and panel facilities. This enables us to deliver complete, seamlessly integrated, single-brand energy storage solutions backed by unified warranty support.

Rooftop Solar as a Long-Term Investment

Are Indian consumers increasingly viewing solar as a long-term investment rather than simply a way to reduce electricity bills? What factors are influencing their purchase decisions today, including affordability, product reliability, energy savings and after-sales service?
Yes, Indian consumers—especially in standalone residential and small business segments—now clearly treat rooftop solar as a high-return asset rather than a routine expense. With a typical payback period of 3 to 4 years and system operational lifespans exceeding 25 years, rooftop solar is recognized as an investment yielding substantial financial returns over decades.
Today’s purchase decisions are driven by four key factors:

• Product Reliability and Technology: Consumers actively look for robust build quality, high efficiency, and safety protection against extreme weather conditions.
• After-Sales Service and Local Support: Solar is a 25-year commitment. Buyers prioritize brands with an active local presence and quick service response times over short-term price discounts.
• Affordability and Financing Ease: Transparent pricing, direct central subsidies, and simple EMI options remain vital conversion drivers.
• Single-Brand Ecosystem: Customers increasingly prefer getting the inverter, panels, and battery from a single trusted domestic brand, simplifying service coordination and warranty claims.

Growth Opportunities Beyond Metro Cities

With independent rooftops more common in smaller cities and towns, where do you see the strongest growth opportunities for rooftop solar? How are consumer preferences and buying behaviour evolving across Tier-2, Tier-3 and rural markets?
Tier-2, Tier-3, Tier-4, and rural markets represent the biggest growth engine for residential and small-commercial rooftop solar in India. Unlike metro cities dominated by multi-story apartments with shared roofs, smaller towns feature widespread independent home ownership, providing ample space for solar installations.
Consumer behaviour in these regions has evolved rapidly:

• From Emergency Backup to Primary Power: Rural and semi-urban households are transitioning from basic battery-inverter setups to full-capacity solar installations capable of powering heavy household appliances, agricultural pumps, and small commercial equipment.
• Trust-Driven Partner Networks: Purchasing decisions in non-metro markets rely heavily on local dealer recommendations, installer credibility, and word-of-mouth trust.

Fujiyama has built a deep footprint in these markets, backed by a strong network of over 10,100 channel partners and more than 900 trained field service engineers across 25 states to deliver localized, rapid technical support.

Manufacturing Expansion and Backward Integration

How will Fujiyama’s investments in manufacturing capacity and backward integration support revenue growth, improve supply-chain resilience and strengthen the company’s competitive position in India’s growing solar market?
Our expansion strategy centers on robust scale and deep backward integration across the power electronics and solar value chain:

• Scale in Power Electronics and Solar: We have commissioned a state-of-the-art 2 GW power electronics facility in Ratlam, MP, taking our total power electronics capacity to 4.2 GW—a more than sevenfold expansion over recent years. Our complex also houses 3.6 GW of solar panel capacity and 1 GW of solar cell manufacturing.
• Deep Backward Integration: Fujiyama manufactures key inverter components in-house, including transformers, inductors, heat sinks, metal enclosures, and surface-mount technology (SMT) circuit board assemblies.

Strategic and Competitive Advantages:

1. Supply-Chain Resilience: In-house production reduces reliance on imported components and shields us from global supply disruption and foreign exchange volatility.
2. Cost and Quality Control: Backward integration enables strict quality monitoring at every stage while optimizing production costs, allowing us to deliver premium engineering at competitive prices.
3. Synergy and Pace: Designing and building both power electronics and solar components under one roof ensures operational synergy and accelerates product innovation cycles.

Addressing Barriers to Rooftop Solar Adoption

What are the biggest barriers preventing interested households from installing rooftop solar today? How can manufacturers, installers and policymakers make adoption easier through financing options, consumer education and better service support?
The primary barriers remaining today are:

• Upfront Capital Perception: Despite subsidies, initial capital outlays or perceived financial complexity deter lower-middle-income households.
• DISCOM Approval Friction: Bureaucratic delays in net-metering approvals, meter replacements, and grid synchronization cause consumer hesitation.
• Service Assurance Concerns: Customers worry about long-term maintenance, vendor permanence, and who will service their system 5 or 10 years down the line.

Action Plan to Ease Adoption:

• Manufacturers: Establish robust, direct-to-consumer service networks, offer long-term performance warranties, and deliver integrated product packages (inverter + panels + battery).
• Installers and Dealers: Provide transparent end-to-end guidance—from rooftop assessment to subsidy filing on the national portal—ensuring a hassle-free customer journey.
• Policymakers and DISCOMs: Enforce strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for net-metering approvals and enable digital, automated net-metering clearances.

Outlook for India’s Rooftop Solar Industry Through 2027

Looking ahead to 2027, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges for India’s rooftop solar industry? Which product categories, market segments and regions do you expect to drive Fujiyama’s next phase of growth?
Key Industry Opportunities and Challenges through 2027:

• Opportunities: Massive residential uptake under PM Surya Ghar, rapid commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop adoption, and the widespread integration of battery storage with solar systems.
• Challenges: Grid infrastructure readiness for high multi-directional solar feeds, ensuring domestic cell and raw material availability, and maintaining quality standards across rapid capacity additions.

Fujiyama’s Growth Drivers:

• Product Categories: High-efficiency hybrid inverters, integrated lithium-ion Energy Storage Systems (ESS), and advanced DCR solar modules.
• Market Segments: Mass-market residential solar, small micro-enterprises and MSMEs seeking energy cost reduction, and energy storage retrofits for existing solar owners.
• Geographic Expansion: Consolidating our market leadership in Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural hubs across North, Central, and Western India, while expanding our distribution network across Southern states and selected international export markets.

Building an Integrated Energy Future

As India’s rooftop solar market expands, the focus is shifting from electricity savings alone to reliable, integrated energy solutions. Manufacturing capabilities, energy storage, distribution reach and dependable after-sales service will play an increasingly important role in meeting evolving consumer expectations.
Through its investments in power electronics, solar manufacturing and battery storage, Fujiyama Power Systems aims to strengthen its position in this changing market and support the wider adoption of rooftop solar across Indian households and businesses.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
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