A 200-megawatt (MW) solar module manufacturing plant of Central Electronics Limited (CEL) was launched by the government on Thursday as India moves towards increasing domestic manufacturing capacity in renewable energy.

The plant was launched in an event that saw the attendance of Union Minister Jitendra Singh and members of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Ministry claims that the new manufacturing line would contribute to India’s solar manufacturing capabilities.

During the launch, Singh stated that India is increasing its capacity in non-fossil fuel energy sources, including solar, wind, nuclear, and ocean-based energy systems. The expansion in renewable energy infrastructure has been attributed to India’s goal of attaining net-zero emissions by 2070.

The minister noted that the launch of the solar manufacturing line boosts India’s manufacturing capability in the renewable energy industry.

In recent years, India has increased its renewable energy generation capacity and solar manufacturing capabilities as part of its efforts to become less dependent on fossil fuels and energy equipment imports. Solar energy is now becoming increasingly significant as a share of India’s renewable energy capacity.

During the inauguration of the facility, Singh alluded to the significance of CEL in the growth of India’s solar industry. According to him, the firm produced India’s first solar cell in 1977 and India’s first solar plant in 1979.

The minister also mentioned that the company has ventured into other fields such as wind turbines, hybrid renewable technologies, defense electronics, and data centers.

The ceremony was attended by N. Kalaiselvi, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the director general of CSIR. Other guests present included the chairman and managing director of CEL, Chetan Jain, and some scientists.

India has launched initiatives geared towards promoting manufacturing and production-link incentives in order to increase solar equipment manufacture in the country and minimize reliance on imports.

Solar energy forms a core component in India’s climate change mitigation efforts and continues recording growth in the energy sector.