For seven years, “ALMM” meant one thing to Indian solar procurement teams: an approved list of module brands. From June 1, 2026, that changed. A second list now governs what goes inside the module — the solar cell itself — and it has already reshaped bidding, sourcing, and project timelines across the industry.

If your project documentation still treats ALMM as a module-only checklist, it’s out of date. Here’s what actually changed, who it applies to, and how to build a compliant procurement plan around it.

Quick Answer

ALMM List-II is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) approved list of domestic solar cell manufacturers and models. Effective from June 1, 2026, most government-backed, net-metered, and open-access solar projects in India must use modules built with cells sourced from ALMM List-II-listed manufacturers — not just ALMM List-I-listed module brands. Net-metering and open-access projects received a partial relief window, with commissioning allowed without List-II cells until December 31, 2026, but this is not a blanket extension and should not be treated as a scheduling shortcut.

What Is ALMM List-II, Exactly?

The original ALMM Order of January 2019 always envisioned two lists: List-I for solar PV modules, and List-II for solar PV cells. List-I of solar PV modules has been in force since 2019, but List-II for solar PV cells had never actually been notified until MNRE moved to activate it. MNRE’s December 2024 notification proposed List-II take effect from June 1, 2026, citing the country’s rapidly expanding solar PV cell manufacturing capacity as the trigger for finally activating it.

The measure officially came into force from June 1, 2026, requiring net-metering and open-access renewable energy projects commissioned on or after that date to use solar PV modules from ALMM List-I built with cells from ALMM List-II. Since then, MNRE has issued multiple revisions to List-II as new domestic cell capacity gets certified — the list is a living document, not a one-time notification, and procurement teams need to check it against each specific order, not against a memory of what was approved six months ago.

Who Actually Has To Comply

MNRE’s July 2026 decision extended a limited ALMM List-II exemption for net-metering and open-access renewable projects through December 31, 2026, allowing these categories to commission without List-II-compliant cells during the window — but this is explicitly described as a transition measure, not a rollback of the underlying policy. From January 1, 2027, buyers should plan on the assumption that List-II compliance will apply to these categories unless MNRE issues a further controlling order.

Why MNRE Activated List-II Now

The introduction of ALMM List-II compliance was made mandatory from 1 June 2026 under an MNRE office memorandum dated December 9, 2024, with the stated goal of protecting India’s growing domestic cell manufacturing base from being bypassed by module makers who import cells. Without a cell-level list, a manufacturer could technically be “ALMM List-I certified” as a module brand while assembling entirely on imported cells — defeating the purpose of domestic manufacturing incentives.

MNRE has also signalled where this is headed next: a September 2025 draft proposed expanding ALMM to include wafers under a new List-III, with compliance requirements proposed to commence from June 1, 2028. EPCs building long-term supplier relationships should treat wafer traceability as the next compliance frontier, not a distant hypothetical.

What This Means for EPCs and Installers

1. Module procurement documentation now needs two layers of proof, not one. A List-I certificate for the module brand is no longer sufficient evidence of compliance on applicable projects — you need documentation showing the cells inside that specific module batch trace back to a List-II-listed cell manufacturer and model.
2. Bid timelines need a compliance buffer. MNRE’s recent clarifications were specifically aimed at eliminating the ambiguity that had been causing confusion during procurement and bidding stages — but ambiguity during a transition period is exactly when EPCs get caught with non-compliant inventory. Build in verification time before finalising a supplier.
3. Exemption windows apply to commissioning date, not order date. If a net-metering or open-access project slips past December 31, 2026, it needs List-II-compliant cells regardless of when the modules were ordered. Padding project schedules with contingency time is now a compliance decision, not just a scheduling one.
4. Government and PSU tenders assume full compliance already. There is no relief window for these categories — verify supplier List-II status before bid submission, not after award.

What This Means for Module Manufacturers

The policy has exposed a structural problem that module-only manufacturers can’t procurement their way around: India’s cell manufacturing capacity has not scaled at the same pace as module assembly capacity. That gap — and what it means for your supply chain risk specifically — is significant enough that we’ve covered it in detail in a dedicated piece on India’s solar cell supply crunch.

For manufacturers without in-house cell production, the practical choices are: (a) lock in long-term supply contracts with List-II-listed cell manufacturers now, before capacity gets fully booked, (b) evaluate backward integration, or (c) accept longer lead times as the new normal for compliant projects.

Websol Energy System Limited manufactures its own M10 Bifacial Mono-PERC solar cells at its West Bengal facility rather than depending on third-party cell supply — a structural position that removes one layer of ALMM List-II exposure for buyers sourcing Websol modules for List-II-applicable projects. You can review current cell specifications on the Websol’s solar cell page.

Verifying List-II Status: A Practical Checklist

• Cross-check the manufacturer name and specific model/capacity against the current MNRE ALMM List-II PDF (not a supplier’s self-declaration)
• Confirm the revision date of the list you’re checking — List-II has already gone through multiple revisions in 2026
• Ask suppliers for cell-batch traceability documentation, not just a company-level listing
• Reconfirm List-II status at PO stage, not just at RFQ stage — listings can be added or revised between quote and order
• For net-metering/open-access projects, get the exact commissioning date in writing and stress-test it against the December 31, 2026 exemption boundary