India’s solar energy (especially solar PV based power generation) has been on an upward curve starting 2010, and this has accelerated even further post 2015. As of Sep 2018, India's total solar power installed capacity stood at over 25 GW (25,000 MW), making it one of the top 10 countries worldwide and possibly in the top 5 countries by 2022.

The dramatic reduction in the cost of solar power plants, coupled with the Indian government’s aggressive policies have helped India get on to the solar power growth bandwagon, and the country expects to install 10 GW or more of solar power plants every year through 2022 and perhaps beyond. At about Rs 4000 crore per GW, that would mean a business of Rs 40,000 crore or more annually from solar power plants for the next many years.

While this seems to be an exceptionally attractive opportunity for many Indian companies all along the solar power value chain, in reality there have been significant challenges. One, a large part (over 80%) of the cells and panels used for solar power plants are imported from China. Next, drastically falling tariffs for solar power plants have meant poor margins for solar power plant developers and EPCs.

Thus, industries and businesses keen on investing into the Indian solar power segment face a combination of opportunities and challenges. What should a medium or large Indian business with a keen interest on this segment do? How should they strategize their entry into this intriguing segment?

This is precisely where Solar Mango, with its excellent understanding of the solar power market and its contours, can be of immense help to your company – to help you chart out an effective strategic solar energy business roadmap for your company.

Given the nature of the solar power sector, an effective strategy will differ significantly from one company to another. An effective strategy should not only build upon your tangible strengths and assets (physical plant and machinery, distribution, customer base…), but also intangible assets (your company’s vision, your company’s core competence areas within your operational value chain…).

Such a plan should also take into account the trends in the entire ecosystem of solar energy in specific and renewable energy in general – for instance, the growth of other forms of renewables such as wind power and bio-energy, from the developments happening in the energy storage market that can have vast implications for the scalability of solar farms in future, and the trends in the utility power sector that today is dominated by coal-based power plants, and supported by hydro, natural gas and nuclear power plants.

EAI’s Solar Mango team can assist you in assimilating all of the above to provide your top management with a strategy that is optimized for your firm’s strengths, visions and aspirations.