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The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
MNRE invests ₹200 crore in NCPRE at IIT Bombay, pushes for scalable solar innovation
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has provided over ₹200 crore in funding to the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay over the past 15 years, as part of its efforts to support India's solar R&D ecosystem and the broader 100 GW solar mission, said Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). Interacting with journalists after his visit to the centre, he said that the technological progress achieved at the institute—particularly in Silicon-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell development—positions India for leadership in next-generation photovoltaics. During his visit, the Minister toured key facilities including the Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell lab, the Silicon Fab, and the Medium Voltage Laboratory. He interacted with researchers and acknowledged the work of IIT-Bombay-incubated startup— Advanced Renewable Tandem-Photovoltaics India (ART-PV India) that has developed a 2-Terminal Monolithic Silicon/CdTe-Perovskite tandem solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 29.8%. 'This is a national milestone and one of the highest performance levels ever achieved in India,' he said. 'NCPRE was launched at IIT Bombay in 2010 with funding from the MNRE to provide R&D and education support for India's ambitious 100 GW solar mission. Till date, MNRE has provided over ₹ 200 crore funding to NCPRE, IIT Bombay, over the last 15 years. MNRE is also supporting ART-PV India with $10 million (₹ 83 crore) for establishing a state-of-the-art pilot manufacturing facility in IIT-B campus, in line with the commitment to nurturing domestic Intellectual Property, and ensuring Indian innovation reaches global markets. MNRE will continue to provide policy and financial support to ensure India's RE sector thrives on innovation and self-reliance,' Mr. Joshi said. 'Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is proud to support NCPRE's pioneering work in high-efficiency, low-cost Silicon-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells, a game-changer for India's solar energy future,' he said. He noted that this technology has the potential to achieve more than 30% efficiency, far surpassing conventional solar panels, making India a global leader in next-gen photovoltaics. 'By investing in such innovations, we are driving down the cost of solar energy, making it more accessible for all Indians. India is not just adopting renewable energy but defining its future—through research in perovskite solar cells, Inverter technology, PV-reliability, green hydrogen, and energy storage,' the Minister said. Through initiatives like the Renewable Energy Research & Technology development (RE-RTD) and R&D funding schemes, MNRE is enabling institutions like NCPRE to accelerate lab-to-market transitions, Mr. Joshi said. 'NCPRE's work exemplifies how public-funded research, when coupled with policy support, can position India as a global clean energy hub,' he added. Mr. Joshi urged the IIT Bombay-ART PV team to commercially demonstrate that Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells are not only scalable but also profitable. 'By making advanced technologies accessible to industry, we will not just be driving efficiency but also building a stronger innovation ecosystem. The Union Cabinet approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme just two weeks back, and the budget for Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD), stands at ₹ 1.27 lakh crore,' he said.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MNRE calls for proposals to boost reuse, recycling in solar, battery tech
New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched an 'Innovation Challenge for Circularity in Renewable Energy Technologies' with a total outlay of ₹10 crore to promote R&D in the circular economy for battery storage and solar photovoltaic technologies . The proposals can be submitted till July 15, 2025, under the Ministry's Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development (RE-RTD) Scheme. As per the Ministry's notification, the challenge is open to R&D organisations, institutions, universities, and startups based in India. Proposals must be submitted online through MNRE's research portal. The funding support under the scheme will be provided in three categories depending on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the innovation. For the 'Proof of Concept' category (TRL 1-3), the maximum funding is ₹10 lakh per project. For 'Potential' category projects (TRL 4–5), a support of up to ₹30 lakh will be provided. The 'Proven' innovation category (TRL 6 and above) can receive funding up to ₹2 crore or 50% of the total project cost, whichever is lower. 'The Challenge aims to promote and scale up research and development of circular economy approaches in the battery and solar sector,' the Ministry stated. The eligible project themes include design and manufacturing innovation, second-life use and recycling, and operational management. Project selection will be conducted by a jury under the Ministry's R&D Project Appraisal Committee (RDPAC) based on parameters such as relevance, technical merit, scalability, innovation, and sustainability. Winners of the challenge will also be eligible for pilot implementation and demonstration funding. According to the concept note issued by MNRE, the initiative aligns with India's national targets of achieving 50% cumulative electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. The MNRE stated that the deployment of solar and battery technologies would require circular strategies across design, reuse, and recycling to address environmental, economic, and resource challenges. 'Translating these ambitions into reality requires access to technological and process innovations across the value chain,' the concept note said. India's commitment to circular economy also gained momentum during its G20 presidency in 2023 with the launch of the Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC). MNRE leads the inter-ministerial committee on circularity for the solar sector formed under NITI Aayog's 2021 initiative. The challenge guidelines mention that project progress will be evaluated by expert monitoring committees, and MNRE reserves the right to terminate the project if milestones are not met.
