The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is offering financial support up to INR 100 million ($1.2 million) to promote circularity in the solar PV and battery sectors. It has also invited proposals from eligible entities engaged in research and development (R&D) focused on circular economy solutions.
The focus will primarily be on 3 broad themes to focus on supporting innovations. Design and manufacturing innovations will support the pursuit of circularity in design and manufacturing, facilitating easy dismantling and waste segregation, promoting resource efficiency, utilizing alternative materials, and employing innovative technologies for manufacturing. This will enable the production of products from recycled materials and related aspects.
Funding will also be available for 2nd life use and recycling innovations that promote reuse, repair, refurbishment, re-manufacturing, recycling, and recovery of materials from waste solar panels and batteries.
Operational management innovations will back projects that help deployed solar modules and battery systems achieve optimal life. This will cover efficient monitoring of modules and batteries via enabling predictive maintenance, digitalization of supply chain, digital labeling of solar and battery systems providing information on their material composition, installation, handling and storage guidelines, and recycling approaches.
The technology maturity of the submitted proposals will be assessed based on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) as per the following scale, which the applicants need to indicate for their respective innovations:
TRL 1: Basic principles observed and reported
TRL 2: Technology concept and/or application formulated
TRL 3: Analytical and Experimental Critical Function and/or Characteristic Proof-of-Concept
TRL 4: Technology Component/sub-system validation in laboratory environment
TRL 5: Technology Component/sub-system validation in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in case of key enabling technologies)
TRL 6: Technology sub-system or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment
TRL 7: Technology System Prototype demonstration in an operational environment
TRL 8: Actual Technology System completed and qualified through testing and demonstration
TRL 9: Actual Technology System proven in its operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies)
According to the ministry’s call, the innovations submitted for funding will fall under the following 3 categories based on the TRL:
Proof of concept innovations are those between TRLs 1 and 3
Potential innovations falling under TRLs 4 and 5, and
Proven innovations at TRL 6 and above.
The call is open to all applicant technologies based in India, including the siting of the product team, and/or company, siting of product development and testing facilities, securing relevant certifications and approvals, and compliance with market entry regulations.
Submitted proposals will be shortlisted via initial screening, followed by further scrutiny by the jury. A total of INR 5 million ($58,100) is the cap for funding support for the proof-of-concept stage. Potential Innovation category projects can win from INR 15 million ($175,000), while proven innovations will be supported with a total budget of INR 80 million ($930,000).
Proposals can be submitted between June 23, 2025, and July 15, 2025, according to the ministry’s call issued on June 16, 2025.
In May 2025 Gujarat, where the most solar PV manufacturing facilities are coming up in India, invited consultants to develop a solar waste recycling research study, and recovery methods (see Gujarat Seeks Study On Solar Waste Material Recovery).
India targets 280 GW of solar PV installations by 2030. This call for circularity aims to promote sustainability in the supply chain while minimizing waste. The ministry says this will improve process and resource efficiency for solar and batteries, while creating jobs and investment opportunities.
According to a 2024 CEEW study, India will be looking at some 600 kt of solar waste by 2030, which could grow 32 times to up to 19,000 kt by 2050. By FY23, it had already generated about 100 kt of cumulative solar waste (see Solar PV Waste Is An Opportunity For Indian Economy).
