SECI’s 700 MW tender is structured specifically around SEZ and EOU-based solar projects
Developers will be allowed to bid for a minimum 50 MW to the maximum 700 MW capacity on offer
Selected projects will supply power to a C&I buyer in Odisha under 25-year PPAs
India’s Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited bids for 700 MW of Interstate Transmission System (ISTS)-connected solar PV projects. Power supply is intended for a commercial and industrial (C&I) consumer in Odisha.
The projects will need to be developed in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or areas designated as Export Oriented Units (EOUs), under C&I-1 tender.
Developers can bid for contracted capacities of 50 MW to 700 MW, in multiples of 10 MW. The projects will be developed on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
Interested developers will be responsible for identifying land, securing approvals, obtaining grid connectivity and building the transmission network up to the interconnection or delivery point. The minimum interconnection voltage is 220 kV.
The tender requires developers to have connectivity at an eligible ISTS substation, with the start date of connectivity on or before December 31, 2028. They will be at liberty to choose substations across India.
Power will be delivered to the buying entity through the ISTS, with Paradeep ISTS substation in Odisha designated as the point of drawal.
A key feature of the tender is its SEZ/EOU structure. SECI says the projects are being established under this framework to supply power to a buying entity with an EOU in Odisha and to avail an exemption from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) requirements.
SECI will purchase solar power from successful developers under 25-year power purchase agreements (PPA). It will then sell the power to the designated C&I buying entity under back-to-back basis.
The identity of the buying entity will be disclosed at a later stage, according to the tender document.
Developers will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining the required SEZ or EOU status. They must declare the annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) of their projects when submitting bids. The declared CUF cannot be below 25%.
The tender was issued on September 3, 2026, with October 5, 2026 as the last date to submit bids online, and October 8, 2026 for offline submissions.
Mercom India recently reported that solar tender and auction activity in India declined 22% year-on-year (YoY) and 6% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in Q2 2026. About 5 GW of utility-scale capacity was tendered, while auctions fell 40% YoY and 56% QoQ to 2 GW (see Mercom: India Solar Installations Hit Record 27 GW In H1 2026).
