IIT Bombay startup's new solar cell will be game-changer for India: Pralhad Joshi

Mumbai, July 15 (IAN) Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said IIT-Bombay-incubated startup - Advanced Renewable Tandem-Photovoltaics India (ART-PV India) has developed a 2-Terminal Monolithic Silicon/CdTe-Perovskite tandem solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 29.8 per cent, which is a game-changer for the country’s solar energy future.

“This technology has the potential to achieve more than 30 per cent efficiency, far surpassing conventional solar panels, making India a global leader in next-gen photovoltaics, and by investing in such innovations, we are driving down the cost of solar energy, making it more accessible for all Indians,” the minister said.

“This is a national milestone and one of the highest performance levels ever achieved in India,” he remarked.

The minister visited the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) in IIT Bombay and held an interactive meeting with its Investigators and Advisory Board Members. He took a look at the Perovskite Tandem solar cell lab, Silicon Fab laboratory and Medium voltage Laboratory at NCPRE and interacted with the scientists.

NCPRE was launched at IIT Bombay in 2010 with funding from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India. The broad objectives of NCPRE are to provide R&D and education support for India’s ambitious 100 GW solar mission. MNRE has provided over Rs 200 crore in funding to NCPRE, IIT Bombay, over the last 15 years.

MNRE is also supporting ART-PV India with $10 million ( about Rs 83 crore) for establishing a state-of-the-art pilot manufacturing facility on the IIT-B campus, in line with the commitment to nurturing domestic Intellectual Property, and ensuring Indian innovation reaches global markets. MNRE will continue to provide policy and financial support to ensure India’s RE sector thrives on innovation and self-reliance, said Pralhad Joshi.

Joshi said, "The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is proud to support NCPRE’s pioneering work in high-efficiency, low-cost Silicon-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells, a game-changer for India’s solar energy future.”

At a time when the world is seeking efficient, affordable, and scalable solar energy solutions, this innovation gives India a leadership edge, he added.

He said that this is not just a lab-scale breakthrough, it is a blueprint for clean, scalable, and Aatamnirbhar energy production. India is not just adopting renewable energy but defining its future through research in perovskite solar cells, Inverter technology, PV-reliability, green hydrogen, and energy storage, he added.

Joshi said that the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) was committed to advancing cutting-edge renewable energy technologies under the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, ensuring India leads in clean energy innovation. In this respect, MNRE’s support to premier institutions like NCPRE, IIT Bombay, strengthens domestic R&D, reducing reliance on imported technology and fostering indigenous manufacturing.

Through initiatives like the Renewable Energy Research & Technology development (RE-RTD) and R&D funding schemes, MNRE is enabling institutions like NCPRE to accelerate lab-to-market transitions, further stated Joshi. He added that NCPRE’s work exemplifies how public-funded research, when coupled with policy support, can position India as a global clean energy hub.

Highlighting MNRE’s Strategic Support for R&D & Commercialisation, Joshi urged the IIT Bombay-ART PV team to commercially demonstrate that Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells are not only scalable but also profitable.

“By making advanced technologies accessible to industry, we will not just be driving efficiency, but also building a stronger innovation ecosystem,” he said.

Joshi further stated that this approach aligns perfectly with the larger vision of the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to turn Indian R&D into global benchmarks.

He stated that the Union Cabinet approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme just two weeks back, and the budget for Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD), stands at Rs. 1.27 lakh crore.

IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare, NCPRE Principal Investigators (PIs) Prof. Baylon G. Fernandes and Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, and ART-PV India Co-Founder Prof. Dinesh Kabra were present on the occasion.

--IANS

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