Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Pralhad Joshi 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.
Shri Joshi visited the Perovskite Tandem solar cell lab, Silicon Fab laboratory and Medium voltage Laboratory at NCPRE and interacted with the scientists. 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%.
This is a national milestone and one of the highest performance levels ever achieved in India. 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. Till date, MNRE has provided over Rs 200 crore funding to NCPRE, IIT Bombay, over the last 15 years.
MNRE is also supporting ART-PV India with $10 million (~ Rs 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, said Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi. Speaking at a post-visit media interaction, Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi stated, "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, further stated Union MNRE Minister. 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 and by investing in such innovations, we are driving down the cost of solar energy, making it more accessible for all Indians, he added.
This is not just a lab-scale breakthrough, it is a blueprint for clean, scalable, and Aatma nirbhar energy production, stated Shri Joshi. In this context, Union Minister Shri Joshi also said, 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.
Shri Pralhad Joshi said, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is 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 Shri 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 & Commercialization, Shri 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. Shri Joshi further said that this approach aligns perfectly with the larger vision of the Central Government under the leadership of PM Shri 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, ART-PV India Co-Founder Prof. Dinesh Kabra were present on the occasion.