India is poised to achieve a record-breaking 50 GW of installed solar capacity in 2026. This massive expansion has been spurred by developers rushing to complete projects prior to the implementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers-II (ALMM-II) regulations, even as supply bottlenecks for solar cells begin to surface. According to a report by Wood Mackenzie titled ‘From Modules to Cells: India Deepens its Solar PV Push’, this tightening supply chain is expected to temporarily drive up overall system costs through 2027 until expanding domestic manufacturing capacity helps relieve the strain.
The surge was particularly strong during the first six months of 2026, when India deployed 34 GW DC of solar capacity—a 38% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Driven by the effort to meet the June ALMM-II cutoff, total additions for the full year are projected to eclipse the previous record of 49 GW DC set in 2025.