Alyssa Pek, Strategy Director at the Global Solar Council (GSC), discussed global solar policy priorities ahead of COP31, highlighting opportunities for India’s solar industry in international markets. Pek emphasized COP’s role in advancing renewable energy and electrification, citing the proposed global goal of achieving 35% electrification by 2035 and the Global Solar Rooftop Declaration’s target of 300 million solar-powered homes by 2030. For India, she highlighted the potential to build on the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar program, expand storage deployment, and improve access to concessional finance, which can significantly influence project returns. Pek encouraged Indian manufacturers to pursue export opportunities in Africa and Southeast Asia, position energy storage as a new growth driver, and share India’s rooftop solar experience with other markets to make the most of the momentum towards COP31. She also urged industry stakeholders to engage with the GSC and India’s National Solar Energy Federation (NSEFI) to strengthen industry representation.
Leadmicro presented its latest TOPCon and TOPCon+ solutions, with the latter incorporating rear poly-fingers and edge passivation on cut edges. Jerry Liao, Leadmicro's CTO, also outlined upgrade paths from TOPCon to TBC, using PECVD for tunnel oxide and polysilicon deposition, along with laser processing to pattern the n- and p-type regions on the rear side. He discussed the current status of TBC, which remains under process integration. Liao also compared horizontal and vertical wafer loading for LPCVD, highlighting the latter’s simpler process configuration and higher mechanical yield of 99.2%, compared with 97% for horizontal loading.
Bo Jin, Senior Marketing Manager at Hangzhou First, discussed encapsulation techniques that can reduce costs while maintaining solar module reliability. Jin highlighted key failure modes in TOPCon modules, including damp heat-induced corrosion, potential-induced degradation (PID), and ultraviolet-induced degradation (UVID). For glass-to-glass TOPCon modules, Jin said POE or EPE encapsulants on the front side offer a premium solution. For glass-to-backsheet designs, Hangzhou First recommends its TF4N POE on the front, combined with low-acid EVA and a conventional backsheet on the rear. To address UVID, manufacturers can consider UV-cutoff or UV-conversion films. He also highlighted advanced encapsulation solutions for TOPCon designs, including zero-busbar (0BB), ultra-narrow-edge, and multi-cut cells, as well as insulating and protective inks for back-contact (BC) modules.
Zhixin Li, CEO and CTO of Linton Technologies, discussed key technology and design choices for building competitive wafer and ingot manufacturing facilities as India looks to expand upstream solar PV manufacturing. With more than 500 GW of capacity delivered globally, Li highlighted its Vietnam location as a manufacturing hub engineered around export compliance. He said key equipment could be assembled in Vietnam and supplied to Indian customers, helping ensure deliveries amid geopolitical uncertainties and China’s solar equipment export controls.
China’s restrictions on solar manufacturing technology and equipment exports could push India to reduce its dependence on the world’s largest solar manufacturing market, says Sukumar Madugula of RCT Solutions. He recommends that Indian manufacturers establish pilot production lines of 300 MW to 500 MW to develop and validate technologies suited to Indian conditions. Strategic partnerships with non-Chinese technology providers and R&D institutions would support IP licensing, joint development, and manufacturing know-how.
The focus should be on customized engineering rather than simply copying Chinese solutions, stressed Madugula.
TaiyangNews PV Leadership Briefing.India 2026 starts at The Stellar Gymkhana in Greater Noida. Michael Schemela, Managing Director of TaiyangNews, takes the floor to welcome PV industry decision-makers and invite them to exchange views on the development of India's PV manufacturing industry, technology trends, and investment priorities.
