MNRE Clarifies ALMM List-II Exemption For PM Surya Ghar Users

India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has clarified that residential rooftop solar consumers participating in the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana's (PMSGMBY) "Give It Up" campaign will be exempt from the applicability of ALMM List-II for solar PV cells. The exemption will remain in effect until March 31, 2027.  

India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II, which mandates the use of domestically manufactured solar cells in government and government-backed projects, took effect on June 1, 2026. All net-metering and open-access renewable energy projects commissioned from this date must use approved cells and modules. While the ministry declined a blanket extension, it allowed limited exemptions on a case-by-case basis (see India Brings ALMM List-II For Solar Cells Into Force).  

Now the ministry has issued a clarification following requests from stakeholders seeking confirmation on whether consumers who voluntarily forgo Central Financial Assistance (CFA) under the scheme would still be required to use ALMM listed solar cells. 

According to the ministry, residential consumers availing net metering and choosing the "Give It Up" option will continue to be governed by the PMSGMBY scheme guidelines until the scheme concludes in March 2027. To qualify, applications must be submitted through the PM Surya Ghar National Portal. 

MNRE also clarified that eligible consumers will not need to separately apply on the National Institute of Solar Energy's (NISE) DCR Portal to claim the exemption.   

The relaxation, stated the ministry, is limited to this specific category of rooftop solar projects and does not extend to other installations.  

In a separate development, MNRE has constituted a 4-member expert committee to examine requests from net-metering and open-access renewable energy projects seeking additional time to commission projects beyond May 31, 2026, while also requesting exemption from ALMM List-II requirements for solar cells.  

The committee includes representatives from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), and NISE. Its recommendations will be forwarded to MNRE for final approval. 

This committee will assess projects where solar modules have already been installed but commissioning remains pending, as well as projects where developers have undertaken substantial steps toward implementation.  

Applications must be submitted through a dedicated NISE portal by June 30, 2026.  

MNRE has also delegated decision-making authority for projects with a solar capacity of up to 10 MW AC to state and union territory governments. Larger projects and projects spanning multiple states will continue to be evaluated by MNRE and its expert committee.   

In another related development, the ministry has announced a procedural relaxation for solar module manufacturers under the ALMM framework.   

Under the revised approach, manufacturers can add higher-wattage versions of already enlisted module models—up to 3% above the highest approved wattage—without undergoing a physical factory inspection.   

For instance, a manufacturer with a 540 W module already enlisted in ALMM through factory inspection can get a similar module of up to 556 W enlisted without another factory inspection. However, the manufacturer cannot use the 556 W module as the basis to seek further higher-wattage module approvals without inspection, adds the ministry.  

This will be allowed provided there are no changes to the manufacturing facility, production line, machinery, module design, or key materials.  

For wattage increases above 3%, NISE will conduct online verification of module performance before processing ALMM enlistment requests. The ministry said the changes are intended to simplify compliance requirements and improve ease of doing business while maintaining existing quality control measures.