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The government’s Solar Energy Commission of India (SECI) has tendered 5 GW of solar manufacturing capacity to be set up across the country. The capacity will be linked to grid-connected PV projects with the plants developed on a build-own-operate basis.

Greenko, backed by Singapore’s GIC and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, is set to buy the solar and wind portfolio of Orange Renewable. The move will constitute Greenko’s largest acquisition and will add 1 GW to its operational capacity to raise the company’s portfolio to 4.2 GW, just shy of the capacity held by ReNew Power Ventures, the country’s largest renewable energy company.

With barely 1.8 MW solar power (roof top) achieved in the first month of the 2018-2019 financial year, against the end of year target of 1000 MW, India’s solar dreams are hitting massive rooftop blocks. Grid-interactive solar power (ground mounted) has fared better, achieving 231.81 MW against the EoY 10 GW target.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance says EVs will make up only 7% of new car sales in nation by 2030, compared to a predicted 44% for European sales, 41% in China, 34% in the US and 17% in Japan

To smoothen this transition, the country needs to build fast solar PV-powered charging stations. In 2017, there were only 220-250 operational charging stations in India, compared to 56,000 petrol stations.

According to figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), there are more than 10 million people working in the renewable energy industry. In 2017 alone, the sector added more than 500,000 jobs globally, up 5.3 % from 2016, with solar PV the biggest employer.

Uncertainty in the renewable energy sector continues to drive a “relentless focus on cost” to soften the impact of protectionism, subsidy cuts and rising interest rates throughout the world, EY says in its latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) report. But the evolving outlook for project finance, as well as the gradual maturation of technologies such as blockchain, present new challenges and opportunities.

While China continues to top EY’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI), India has slipped from second position to fourth, due to increasing investor concerns about possible solar import tariffs and disputes between developers and distribution companies.

In the past financial year, India missed its rooftop solar PV targets, although it did exceed those for both grid-connected ground-mounted and off-grid systems, reports the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Bridge to India believes the government’s rooftop targets have been set at the wrong level and that around 10 GW will be installed by 2022, rather than 40 GW.