Latest news with #IIT-Bombay-incubated
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
MNRE invests ₹200 crore in NCPRE at IIT Bombay, pushes for scalable solar innovation
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has provided over ₹200 crore in funding to the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay over the past 15 years, as part of its efforts to support India's solar R&D ecosystem and the broader 100 GW solar mission, said Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). Interacting with journalists after his visit to the centre, he said that the technological progress achieved at the institute—particularly in Silicon-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell development—positions India for leadership in next-generation photovoltaics. During his visit, the Minister toured key facilities including the Perovskite Tandem Solar Cell lab, the Silicon Fab, and the Medium Voltage Laboratory. He interacted with researchers and acknowledged the work of IIT-Bombay-incubated startup— Advanced Renewable Tandem-Photovoltaics India (ART-PV India) that has developed a 2-Terminal Monolithic Silicon/CdTe-Perovskite tandem solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 29.8%. 'This is a national milestone and one of the highest performance levels ever achieved in India,' he said. 'NCPRE was launched at IIT Bombay in 2010 with funding from the MNRE to provide R&D and education support for India's ambitious 100 GW solar mission. Till date, MNRE has provided over ₹ 200 crore funding to NCPRE, IIT Bombay, over the last 15 years. MNRE is also supporting ART-PV India with $10 million (₹ 83 crore) for establishing a state-of-the-art pilot manufacturing facility in 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,' Mr. Joshi said. '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,' he said. He noted that this technology has the potential to achieve more than 30% efficiency, far surpassing conventional solar panels, making India a global leader in next-gen photovoltaics. 'By investing in such innovations, we are driving down the cost of solar energy, making it more accessible for all Indians. 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,' the Minister said. 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, Mr. Joshi said. 'NCPRE's work exemplifies how public-funded research, when coupled with policy support, can position India as a global clean energy hub,' he added. Mr. 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. 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 ₹ 1.27 lakh crore,' he said.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to invite private investors for IIT-B solar power centre
Mumbai: The high-efficiency, low-cost Silicon-Perovskite Tandem solar cells developed at IIT-Bombay is a game-changer for the country's solar energy future, said union minister Pralhad Joshi during his visit to the institute on Monday. While the ministry for new and renewable energy (MNRE) has so far provided Rs 200 crore to IIT-Bombay's National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) for research and development in solar cells, power electronics and batteries, among other things, the govt now plans to rope in private investors to scale the technology commercially. Researchers at the IIT-Bombay-incubated start-up, Advanced Renewable Tandem-Photovoltaics India (ART-PV India), in a major breakthrough, have developed the Silicon-Perovskite solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of almost 30%, surpassing the usual 22-23% achieved in conventional solar photovoltaic cells. "This is a national milestone and one of the highest performance levels ever achieved in India and needs commercial production," the minister said during a media interaction. The technology has been patented and published in a journal, and there is optimism about scaling it up for commercial use, he added. The new solar cell follows a four-terminal configuration, where the perovskite and silicon layers are stacked non-monolithically, allowing the independent optimisation of each sub-cell. The top-layer of perovskite absorbs the high-energy sunlight, and the rest is absorbed by the silicon layer, helping in increased efficiency of the cell. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Prof Dinesh Kabra from IIT-Bombay, co-founder and director of ART-PV, said that the NCPRE was set up in 2010 and since then the union govt has provided grants in three phases totalling up to Rs 200 crore. Kabra said that the meeting on Tuesday was centered around scaling the technology through public-private partnerships and that the team is keen on using indigenous equipment, that are manufactured locally, in their laboratories. The ART-PV is planning the commercial roll out by Dec 2027. The MNRE is also supporting ART-PV India with a grant of Rs 83 crore for establishing a state-of-the-art pilot manufacturing facility on the Powai campus, in line with the commitment to nurturing domestic intellectual property, and ensuring Indian innovation reaches global markets. The ministry will continue to provide policy and financial support to ensure India's renewable energy sector thrives on innovation and self-reliance, said Joshi. He urged the ART-PV team to commercially demonstrate the fact that these solar cells are not only scalable but also profitable. He mentioned the need for policy decisions to encourage private sector involvement and faster commercialisation of such technologies.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
IIT Bombay startup's new solar cell will be game-changer for India: Pralhad Joshi
Mumbai: 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.
