US tariffs, missing cells, evening blackouts: inside India's solar energy bottlenecks

The boom was driven by three forces. The first was cost. Falling module prices and competitive auctions pushed out tariffs roughly from the start ₹12 units in 2010 under ₹2.50. The second was regulation. Discoms must source an increasing share of their power from renewable sources, nearly 36% by 2026-27. A third were corporate buyers, including data center operators who signed long-term clean energy contracts.

Government plans have broadened the base. Distributed solar, led by PM Surya Ghar rooftops and PM-KUSUM farm projects, accounted for more than a third of all solar added last year. Demand is expected to grow.

However, the concern lies in the pace of the boom. Manufacturers rushed to build factories, mostly in the simplest part of the supply chain. And much of the new generation arrives around noon.