PLI POWERS MANUFACTURING

Production linked incentives start making India self-reliant in key sectors.

- P.B. Jayakumar

CONSTRUCTION is in full swing at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu where Tata Power, among India’s largest integrated power companies, is setting up one of the most modern solar cell and module factories with 4.3 gigawatt (GW) capacity. This Industry 4.0 facility will be fully interconnected and use smart manufacturing tools and technologies, including autonomous mobile robots. The ₹4,000 crore capex factory has already brought out its own solar module. The first solar cell is expected by Q4 of FY24.

Tata Power has availed the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for solar cell, module and supply chain manufacturing that entails building of 48,337 MW capacity with ₹18,500 crore government support. ‘’With schemes like PLI and the kind of ecosystem being created, India will be able to meet its renewable energy targets well before deadlines,’’ says Praveer Sinha, managing director and CEO, Tata Power.

Anurag Chowdhary, CMD and CEO of Kolkata-based Himadri Speciality Chemical, is equally bullish about PLI Scheme for his sector. ‘’In many sectors such as mobile phones, solar equipment and battery, we were assembling parts instead of end-to-end manufacturing. PLI will build complete manufacturing ecosystem and value chain to make India