India Emphasizing Ban on Imported Solar Cells for Use in Government Projects

India’s government reaffirmed it will only use domestically produced solar cells for solar-energy products, potentially decreasing demand for imported solar cells, according to an Oct. 31 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. While the requirement had previously been in place, HKTDC said, the government’s announcement followed reports that contractors were ignoring the order and were using imported “semi-processed” solar cells “with only minimal processing actually taking place in India.” The move is aimed at boosting domestic production of solar cells “while also insulating the country’s manufacturing sector from being undermined by cheap imports,” the report said.