Business Standard

Duty on solar modules, cells to continue; don't want imports: R K Singh

There are "no plans" to review the basic customs duty (BCD) levied on solar modules and cells, Union Power Minister R K Singh has said.

This will enable states to optimally utilise their linkage coal in plants nearer to mines as it would be easier to transmit electricity instead of coal transport to far-off states: R K Singh, Union power minister

"I don't want any Chinese imports and want everything Made in India," Singh, who is also the Minister of New and Renewable Energy told PTI in reply to a question related to the duty levied on the two items.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

There are "no plans" to review the basic customs duty (BCD) levied on solar modules and cells, Union Power Minister R K Singh has said.

"I don't want any Chinese imports and want everything Made in India," Singh, who is also the Minister of New and Renewable Energy told PTI in reply to a question related to the duty levied on the two items.

Last year, the government had announced imposing 40 per cent BCD on solar modules and 25 per cent on solar cells with effect from April 1, 2022.

Singh said as a result of the duty, the domestic manufacturing capacity of modules and cells has started going up.

 

However, developers of renewable energy projects have been raising concerns that the domestic capacity is not enough to meet their needs of modules and cells, and were expecting relief from the government.

When asked about plans of reviewing the decision to impose duty, the Minister replied: "By and large this will remain. I don't want any Chinese imports. No plans (of reviewing the decision or modifying it)."

According to research firm Mercom India Research, the domestic module manufacturing capacity was around 18-20 GW as of March 2022.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Jun 10 2022 | 1:39 PM IST

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