MNRE 9th ALMM List-II Revision: TopCon & HJT Cells Cross 35 GW

India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) released the ninth revision of the ALMM List-II for solar PV cells on 21 August 2026, adding 3,709 MW of TOPCon cell capacity and pushing total enlisted domestic cell-manufacturing capacity past 35,467 MW (35.47 GW). The revision, issued by MNRE's Grid Solar Power Division, is the most consequential update yet for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop buyers: it confirms that high-efficiency N-Type TOPCon and Heterojunction Technology (HJT) cells are now the dominant technologies on the approved list, and it arrives just over four months before the 31 December 2026 deadline beyond which net-metering and open-access projects lose their cell-sourcing exemption.

For a factory planning a rooftop or captive plant today, the practical signal is clear: module prices are not going to collapse on cheaper imported cells, domestic TOPCon/HJT supply is real and scaling, and projects that commission on or before 31 December 2026 can still use non-ALMM-listed cells while modules must remain ALMM List-I compliant. After that date, both cells and modules must come from ALMM-listed makers for net-metering and open-access projects.

What the 9th ALMM List-II revision changed

The ALMM List-II framework was first published on 31 July 2025 and took effect from 1 June 2026. It mandates that solar PV cells used in government-supported projects be sourced from manufacturers on the approved list. The ninth revision, dated 21 August 2026, was the second update in August alone (the list was last revised on 22 July 2026 when Avaada Electro first entered with 610 MW of N-Type TOPCon G12 capacity).

The August update added capacity across three existing manufacturers:

Combined enlisted cell capacity now stands at 35,467 MW, up from roughly 31.8 GW before this revision.

The shift to TOPCon and HJT is now structural

The ninth revision makes explicit what the last three updates had been signalling: India's domestic cell pipeline is moving past Mono-PERC toward N-Type TOPCon and HJT. The listed cell efficiencies tell the story:

• Avaada Electro — N-Type TOPCon half-cut and full-cell, max efficiency up to 26.30%, enlistment valid until July 2030.
• Reliance Industries (Jamnagar) — HJT cells, efficiencies up to 26.00%, wattage up to 5.74 W, enlisted capacity 1,238 MW.
• Waaree Energies — TOPCon N-Type G12R, average efficiency 25.39%, approval valid until December 2029.
• Emmvee Energy — Bifacial Mono-c-Si TOPCon, average efficiency 25.60%.
• Premier Energies Photovoltaic — Bifacial N-Type TOPCon, efficiencies between 22.50% and 26.00%, 1,358 MW.
• ReNewsys India — Bifacial N-Type TOPCon, efficiencies 20.50% to 25.60%, 452 MW.
• TP Solar (Tirunelveli) — Mono Crystalline PERC and TOPCon Bifacial, 4,480 MW, minimum efficiency updated to 20.50%.

Most newly listed models carry Potential Induced Degradation (PID)-free claims and use the M10, M10R, G12, and G12R wafer formats. Approvals are typically valid for three to four years, giving developers a defined compliance window.

Mono-PERC is not gone — TP Solar and Fujiyama Power Systems (1,077 MW Bifacial Mono PERC) still hold listed capacity — but the marginal additions are overwhelmingly TOPCon and HJT, reflecting where private and PLI-supported investment is flowing.

Why the 31 December 2026 deadline matters for C&I buyers

Separate from the list revisions, MNRE clarified in early August 2026 (and extended in July 2026) that net-metering and open-access solar projects commissioned on or before 31 December 2026 are exempt from the ALMM List-II cell requirement — a window we unpack in detail in our ALMM List-II exemption extension to 31 December 2026 and our August 2026 MNRE ALMM List-II clarification explainers. Two conditions apply:

1. The exemption applies regardless of when the project was initiated and requires no portal registration.
2. ALMM List-I (modules) remains mandatory for these projects — modules must still come from ALMM-listed manufacturers.

After 31 December 2026, net-metering and open-access projects must use both ALMM-listed modules and ALMM-listed cells. Behind-the-meter captive plants for private (non-government) consumers remain exempt from both List-I and List-II; government and PSU captive plants must use ALMM-listed modules now and ALMM-listed cells after 31 December 2026.

For a C&I rooftop or captive buyer, this creates a narrow and consequential window. A project that commissions in January 2027 must source cells from the ALMM List-II — which, after this ninth revision, means TOPCon or HJT cells from the manufacturers above. A project that commissions by 31 December 2026 retains cell-source flexibility.

What this means for module pricing and procurement

Three takeaways for procurement teams:

1. Domestic cell supply is no longer the bottleneck it was in 2025. With 35.47 GW enlisted and Avaada, Waaree, Emmvee, and Premier all adding TOPCon capacity, lead times for ALMM-compliant domestic-cell modules are shortening. Sun Wave's procurement desk is seeing TOPCon module quotes from ALMM-listed suppliers move closer to imported-cell module quotes than at any point since List-II was notified.
2. TOPCon is the safe default for new C&I rooftop systems. The efficiency band (25–26.3%) is now broadly available, the format choices (M10/G12) match mainstream module designs, and the enlistment validity runs to 2029–2030 — long enough to cover a typical 5–25 year PPA or RESCO tenure.
3. The 31 Dec 2026 cutoff should drive commissioning plans, not panic buying. Projects with grid-approval and financing in motion should target commissioning before the deadline to keep cell flexibility; projects starting fresh should spec ALMM-listed TOPCon cells from the outset to avoid a forced retrofit of the Bill of Materials late in execution.

How this interacts with the wider ALMM framework

The ninth List-II revision sits inside a larger framework C&I buyers should keep in view:

• ALMM List-I (modules) continues to expand — MNRE's 50th revision took listed module capacity past 217 GW.
• ALMM List-III (ingots and wafers) was announced in March 2026 and mandates domestic wafer use from 1 June 2028, with the first list to be published once three independent manufacturers with combined 15 GW capacity are enlisted.
• Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) provisions under specific government schemes are unaffected by the ALMM clarifications and remain governed by their scheme guidelines.

The trajectory is unambiguous: India is building a vertically integrated, ALMM-governed domestic supply chain from wafer to module. The ninth List-II revision shows the cell layer of that stack is now scaling with high-efficiency technology. For open-access buyers, the broader procurement framework sits in our Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022 guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ALMM List-II and why does the ninth revision matter?

ALMM List-II is MNRE's Approved List of Models and Manufacturers for solar PV cells, first published 31 July 2025 and effective from 1 June 2026. It requires cells in government-supported projects to come from listed domestic manufacturers. The ninth revision (21 August 2026) matters because it added 3,709 MW of TOPCon capacity, took total enlisted cell capacity past 35.47 GW, and confirmed that high-efficiency N-Type TOPCon and HJT cells are now the dominant listed technologies.

Do C&I rooftop solar projects need ALMM-listed cells?

Only if they commission after 31 December 2026. Net-metering and open-access projects commissioned on or before 31 December 2026 are exempt from the ALMM List-II cell requirement, but their modules must still be ALMM List-I listed. Behind-the-meter captive plants for private consumers are exempt from both List-I and List-II. After 31 December 2026, net-metering and open-access projects must use both ALMM-listed modules and cells.

What cell efficiencies are now available from ALMM-listed manufacturers?

After the ninth revision, listed N-Type TOPCon cells reach up to 26.30% efficiency (Avaada Electro) and HJT cells up to 26.00% (Reliance Industries). Waaree Energies' TOPCon G2R averages 25.39% and Emmvee's Bifacial Mono-c-Si TOPCon averages 25.60%. Mono-PERC remains listed (TP Solar, Fujiyama) but new additions are overwhelmingly TOPCon and HJT.

Will module prices rise because of the ALMM cell mandate?

The ninth revision actually eases price pressure: 35.47 GW of enlisted domestic cell capacity, much of it high-efficiency TOPCon, is narrowing the gap between domestic-cell and imported-cell module quotes. For C&I buyers, the cost risk is now less about cell sourcing and more about commissioning before the 31 December 2026 deadline if they want to retain cell flexibility.

Is there an exemption portal to register a net-metering project for the cell exemption?

No. MNRE has clarified that the net-metering and open-access cell exemption applies regardless of when the project was initiated and requires no portal registration. Projects simply need to commission on or before 31 December 2026 and continue using ALMM List-I modules.

How does ALMM List-II interact with the proposed ALMM List-III for wafers?

ALMM List-III, announced in March 2026, will mandate domestic ingot and wafer use from 1 June 2028. The first List-III will be published once three independent wafer manufacturers with combined 15 GW capacity are enlisted. List-III does not change List-II cell obligations — it adds a wafer layer on top, completing the domestic supply-chain stack.

Bottom line for C&I solar buyers

The ninth ALMM List-II revision confirms that India's domestic cell manufacturing base has crossed an inflection point: 35.47 GW of enlisted capacity, dominated by TOPCon and HJT at 25–26% efficiency, with PID-free models and 3–4 year enlistment validity. For commercial and industrial rooftop and captive buyers, the action items are concrete — confirm your module supplier uses ALMM List-I modules, decide whether to commission before 31 December 2026 to retain cell flexibility, and spec TOPCon cells from a listed manufacturer for any project commissioning in 2027 or beyond. Sun Wave's procurement desk tracks every ALMM revision and can model the cost and timeline impact of each option against your rooftop's load profile.

Sources: MNRE Grid Solar Power Division ALMM List-II ninth revision (21 Aug 2026); SolarQuarter (24 Aug 2026); Energetica India (24 Aug 2026); MNRE Office Memorandum on ALMM List-II clarifications (4 Aug 2026); The Hindu BusinessLine (8 Aug 2026); Renewable Watch (10 Aug 2026).