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Premier Energies to Revisit US Exports After India–US Trade Deal

Hyderabad-based solar equipment manufacturer Premier Energies is preparing to re-enter the US market following the recent trade agreement between India and the United States. Managing Director Chiranjeev Singh Saluja said the deal is a positive development for Indian solar manufacturers, particularly as duty reductions are expected to improve the competitiveness of India-made modules in the American market.

The US has historically been a key export destination for Indian solar modules. However, Premier Energies’ exposure to the market is currently limited, accounting for less than 0.5% of its order book. Saluja noted that the company plans to restart discussions with US customers and rebuild its supply pipeline, a process that could take three to six months to align project schedules, finalize commercial terms, and secure orders. The company had earlier partnered with US-based module manufacturer Heliene to explore a solar cell manufacturing facility in the US and is now revisiting that plan with renewed interest, supported by feasibility assessments.

On domestic policy developments, Saluja described the Union Budget as broadly supportive of manufacturing, particularly with higher allocations for rooftop and distributed solar schemes such as the Surya Ghar Yojana and Kusum programme. While the extension of basic Customs duty exemption on sodium antimonate used in solar glass will offer marginal cost relief, he emphasized that the larger industry expectation was for incentives targeting wafer and ingot manufacturing, which require substantial capital investment and offer comparatively lower returns.

Addressing input cost pressures, Saluja said the industry has significantly reduced silver consumption—by nearly 68% over the past five years—and continues to explore alternatives such as copper. Silver accounts for roughly 10% of total module costs, and efficiency improvements along with scale have helped mitigate price volatility.

In terms of expansion, Premier Energies currently operates 3.6 GW of solar cell capacity and 5.6 GW of module capacity. A new 7 GW cell manufacturing line in Andhra Pradesh is being rolled out in phases, with 4.8 GW expected to become operational by June and the remainder by September. An additional 5.4 GW of module capacity will be commissioned by the end of March. The company is also entering upstream manufacturing, with plans to commission 5 GW of ingot and wafer capacity by December 2027 and another 5 GW a year later, backed by a total planned investment of Rs 5,900 crore.

On the technology front, Saluja said the company is transitioning toward advanced cell technologies. Of its existing capacity, 2.4 GW is based on Mono PERC technology and 1.2 GW on TopCon, while the upcoming 7 GW facility will entirely use TopCon. Over the next year, older PERC lines will be upgraded in line with demand trends. Once expansions are complete, 8.2 GW of the company’s 10.6 GW portfolio will comprise next-generation technology. Additional capital expenditure of around Rs 6,000 crore is also underway across cell, module, storage, inverter, and transformer segments, reinforcing the company’s integrated growth strategy.