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Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis praised Avaada Superfactory at Nagpur as among Asia’s best during a visit to the facility and urged entrepreneurs to invest in Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. In a fireside conversation with Mr Vineet Mittal, Chairman, Avaada Group, that was attended by more than 60 entrepreneurs, he credited Avaada’s investment which has helped generate further interest in solar module manufacturing in Nagpur.

Recalling his participation in its groundbreaking ceremony, Shri Fadnavis said he had not imagined the scale and quality of the factory that would take shape. He described the Superfactory as “absolutely amazing” and praised it as one of India’s best. He congratulated Vineet Mittal and the Avaada team on establishing the Superfactory.

The Chief Minister said that seeing commitments made through MoU translate into functioning factories, and seeing Maharashtra and India become part of global supply chains, gave him the energy to continue his work in public life.

“Thanks to Vineet ji and the investment he has made, there is now considerable interest in solar modules in Nagpur. If all the other investors complete their investments on time, Nagpur will have the country’s largest solar module ecosystem,” Shri Fadnavis said.

“The next big thing is Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur. If you are not investing here, you are missing something,” Shri Fadnavis said.

To mark the visit, Vineet Mittal presented the Chief Minister with a commemorative memento incorporating the first solar cell manufactured at Avaada Superfactory in Nagpur. The memento symbolised the facility’s progress from an investment commitment to solar cell production in Maharashtra.

Outlining investment opportunities in the region, Shri Fadnavis described plans for an approximately 2,000-acre New Nagpur development along Samruddhi Mahamarg. Planned as a central business district comparable in concept to Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, it would provide modern infrastructure for global capability centres, advanced manufacturing and smart industry. He said approximately half the land acquisition had been completed, with the remainder targeted for completion within three months.

He also highlighted growing industrial activity in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna, particularly in electric vehicles, and the expansion of the Butibori industrial area. He encouraged entrepreneurs to consider opportunities beyond Mumbai and Pune as improved connectivity opens up new locations for manufacturing and services.

The Chief Minister described Samruddhi Mahamarg as a foundation for industrial development across Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra. He outlined a proposed rail freight corridor connecting JNPT and Vadhavan Port with inland industrial centres to improve the movement of goods and access to global markets. He also referred to wider infrastructure and urban development plans, including Mumbai 3 and Mumbai 4, intended to support new investment and improve connectivity.

On industrial competitiveness, Shri Fadnavis emphasised the importance of affordable electricity. He said the five-year tariff proposal provided for tariffs to decline each year and highlighted the potential of solar power and battery energy storage systems, including systems expected to be produced by companies such as Avaada, to support reliable and more affordable electricity.

The Chief Minister also discussed Mumbai’s redevelopment ambitions, describing a model that groups slum areas into 19 clusters. He outlined a target to redevelop 80% of these areas over the next decade, with a focus on a more structured process and building residents’ confidence.

Reflecting on public leadership, Shri Fadnavis said that decisions required conviction, execution and tangible public benefit. He cited Samruddhi Mahamarg as an example of pursuing long-term economic gains despite initial opposition.

Asked about the affection behind being addressed as “Devendra Bhau”, he said public trust was both humbling and a significant responsibility. “And now, after all these years of working, entire Maharashtra has become family,” he said.

He stressed on the importance of remaining grounded and listening to honest feedback, including from old friends who still speak to him without being influenced by his office. On work–life balance, he acknowledged the demands his schedule places on his wife and daughter and thanked them for their understanding and support.

Mr Vineet Mittal, Chairman, Avaada Group, said, “An MoU creates an expectation; a working factory fulfils a commitment. The Chief Minister’s encouragement belongs to the entire team that built Avaada’s Nagpur Superfactory. His message to the entrepreneurs present was equally clear: examine the opportunities emerging in Vidarbha and Marathwada. At Avaada, we are committed to translating that opportunity into manufacturing capability, skilled employment and stronger domestic supply chains.”

Avaada Electro, the solar PV manufacturing arm of Avaada Group, operates 8.5 GW of N-Type TOPCon glass-to-glass module manufacturing capacity across Nagpur and Dadri. At Nagpur, 3 GW of N-Type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing capacity is operational, with another 3 GW in an advanced stage of commissioning and expected to become operational in the quarter ending September 30, 2026. Avaada Electro also plans to establish 3 GW of ingot and wafer manufacturing capacity at Nagpur, extending its manufacturing operations into earlier stages of the solar value chain. The company’s manufacturing expansion aims to strengthen domestic supply chains and increase value addition in India.

The Delhi government will install rooftop solar panels of up to 3 kW capacity at 2.25 lakh homes under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with the government bearing the entire installation cost.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched a dedicated portal through which residents can register for the scheme. Applications and allotments will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gupta said consumers covered under the initiative will not have to pay any amount for installing solar panels up to 3 kW capacity. The programme is aimed at expanding rooftop solar adoption and increasing green energy generation across the national capital.

Eligible residents can now submit their applications online through the dedicated Delhi solar portal. The platform also provides information related to rooftop solar installations and available subsidy provisions.

The central PM Surya Ghar scheme provides financial assistance of ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 per kW for an additional capacity up to 3 kW, with the central subsidy capped at ₹78,000.

Delhi’s initiative provides additional support at the state level, allowing eligible households to install rooftop solar systems without bearing the installation cost under the announced programme.

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched by the Centre in February 2024 with an overall outlay of ₹75,021 crore. The scheme aims to enable rooftop solar installations in one crore households across the country and provide free electricity of up to 300 units per month to participating households.

A 3 kW rooftop solar system can generate more than 300 units of electricity a month on average, according to the Union government. The national programme is expected to add 30 GW of residential rooftop solar capacity over its lifetime.

The Delhi government’s dedicated solar portal will serve as the registration platform for residents seeking to participate in the programme, while installations for the targeted 2.25 lakh homes will be taken up according to the order of applications received.

Lineage Power Private Limited (LPPL), a material subsidiary of Pace Digitek Limited, has secured an order worth ₹488.46 crore, including GST, from NTPC GE Power Services Private Limited (NGSL) for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project at the Barh Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) in Bihar.

The project covers NTPC’s Stage I and Stage II at Barh STPP. Under the Letter of Award, LPPL will supply, deliver, test and supervise the erection, testing and commissioning of BESS containers along with Battery Management Systems (BMS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS).

The order covers 5.015 MWh of BESS containers, according to the company’s regulatory filing. The contract also includes a Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) for 12 years, comprising five years of Annual Maintenance Services and a further seven-year extended warranty for the battery containers.

The project is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2026.

LPPL is being developed as a product-led BESS business covering manufacturing, product supply, system integration and lifecycle support. The latest order adds to Pace Digitek’s growing presence across the battery energy storage value chain.

Pace Digitek operationalised 2.5 GWh of BESS manufacturing capacity in 2025 and has since expanded it to 5 GWh. The company plans to further increase its manufacturing capacity towards 10 GWh by the third quarter of FY27.

The company has delivered BESS containers representing more than 1.5 GWh of capacity so far. It is also working on localisation, system integration and lifecycle service capabilities as it expands its energy-storage business.

Pace Digitek is also evaluating opportunities in the commercial and industrial segment alongside its utility-scale BESS business, particularly among power-intensive customers.

Commenting on the order, Venugopalrao Maddisetty, Chairman and Managing Director, Pace Digitek, said the contract strengthens LPPL’s position as a product-led BESS business by bringing together product supply, commissioning and long-term lifecycle support.

The latest contract follows another BESS order secured by LPPL from Kalpa Power and comes as Pace Digitek continues to scale its manufacturing capacity and expand its participation across the energy-storage segment.

Borosil Renewables has revised the estimated cost of its solar glass capacity expansion to ₹1,100 crore from the earlier ₹950 crore, citing supply-chain disruptions linked to geopolitical developments in West Asia.

The company’s Board has approved the revised project cost for adding 600 tonnes per day (TPD) of solar glass manufacturing capacity at its Bharuch facility in Gujarat. The expansion involves two new furnaces, SG-4 and SG-5, each with a capacity of 300 TPD.

The project was originally targeted for commissioning by December 2026. Supply-chain constraints have now pushed the expected commissioning timeline to March 2027.

Borosil Renewables currently has solar glass manufacturing capacity of 1,000 TPD. The additional 600 TPD will take its total installed capacity to 1,600 TPD, representing a 60% increase.

The company had initially approved an estimated investment of ₹950 crore for the two furnaces in May 2025. The revised ₹1,100 crore project cost represents an increase of ₹150 crore, or around 15.8%, over the original estimate.

The expansion is being undertaken as demand for domestically manufactured solar glass increases alongside the growth of India’s solar module manufacturing capacity. Borosil Renewables has also been benefiting from measures aimed at curbing low-priced solar glass imports from China and Vietnam.

The company has set a revenue target of ₹2,500 crore by FY28. The additional manufacturing capacity is expected to support higher volumes as the new furnaces are brought into operation.

Borosil Renewables has also expanded its focus beyond solar glass manufacturing, entering the rooftop solar segment through branded distributed solar solutions. The company is targeting around ₹100 crore in revenue from the business during its first year.

The capacity expansion remains centred on the Bharuch facility, where the two new furnaces will raise production capability to 1,600 TPD once fully commissioned. The revised timeline reflects the impact of current supply-chain conditions on the project’s execution schedule.

Solex Energy is targeting more than two-fold growth in revenue to over ₹4,500 crore by FY28, backed by expansion across solar cells, modules and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

Chairman and Managing Director Chetan Shah said the company expects its revenue potential to cross ₹4,500 crore by FY28 while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital deployment, execution and technology investments.

Solex Energy reported revenue of more than ₹1,620 crore in FY26. EBITDA stood at ₹186.7 crore, while net profit was ₹98.3 crore, Shah said at the company’s 12th Annual General Meeting.

The company has outlined an investment programme of around ₹4,000 crore between FY27 and FY30. The plan will take Solex beyond its established solar module business and towards a more integrated renewable energy platform covering solar cells, modules and battery energy storage.

Solar cell manufacturing is a key part of the expansion. Solex plans to establish 2.2 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity by FY28 and scale this to 5.2 GW by early FY29.

The company is also developing capabilities for 10 GWh of battery pack and container assembly. The first 5 GWh phase is targeted for FY29, followed by further expansion.

Solex expects the expansion into solar cells to provide greater control over quality, costs and supply chains while increasing its participation in India’s domestic renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem.

The company is also expanding its international presence through plans for Solex Europe and Solex USA, as it looks to build a wider market for its solar and clean energy offerings.

Solex’s FY26 performance provides the base for its expansion plans, with revenue growing 143.9% year-on-year to ₹1,621.1 crore. The company has also been scaling its solar module manufacturing operations in Gujarat.

The ₹4,000-crore investment programme and planned additions in solar cells and BESS are expected to expand Solex Energy’s manufacturing footprint over the next three years as the company works towards its FY28 revenue target.