As the focus country of Intersolar Europe, India is currently receiving special attention: The solar market is growing dynamically, driven by attractive incentives, rising demand for decentralized energy supply and a growing need for qualified specialists. In this interview, Frank Späte of the German Solar Energy Society (DGS) discusses the development of India’s PV market, the importance of education and training, and the opportunities for solar systems as backup and self-supply solutions.
How has the Indian solar market developed in recent years, and which segments are currently driving its momentum most strongly?
I have been travelling to India regularly for around a decade - initially through university cooperation projects and most recently for a semester at a partner university. The solar boom is now visible everywhere: more and more systems can be seen on rooftops and in ground-mounted installations. The expansion is also receiving strong institutional support. India has had its own Ministry of New and Renewable Energy since as early as 1992, and its importance has increased significantly in recent years.
In terms of segments, large utility-scale and ground-mounted systems shaped the market at first. This segment remains important. At the same time, the rooftop market is gaining significant momentum - both among private households and in the small commercial sector. One reason is the growing affluent middle class, which can increasingly afford its own PV systems.
The DGS has been involved in education and training around solar energy for many years. What role does qualification play in the further expansion of the PV market in India?
Qualification is absolutely crucial. Without well-trained specialists, this boom can hardly be managed. From my experience in higher education, I see that India still largely relies on classic bachelor’s degree programs - for example mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, information technology or computer science. Specialized programs focused on renewable energies or photovoltaics are not yet as widespread at bachelor’s level as they are in Germany; such specializations tend to exist at master’s level.
Many graduates, however, enter the workforce directly after completing their bachelor’s degree. They may have taken a module on solar energy, but often lack the specific PV know-how needed for planning, installation and operation. In addition, India has very little traditional vocational training in the skilled trades comparable to Germany. Much is learned by doing. That is why education, professional training and continuing training are very important in both the academic and practical fields.
Where do you currently see the greatest need for skilled workers in India: in the planning, installation, maintenance or quality assurance of PV systems?
I see the practical areas as particularly critical - installation, maintenance and quality assurance. Precisely because there is no well-established skilled-trades training system, professional implementation is a central challenge. The systems must be installed safely, function reliably and be maintainable over the long term. For this, the market needs more qualified practitioners as well as clear quality standards.
Above all, the very favorable economic conditions. Photovoltaics has become significantly cheaper worldwide in recent years, and in India this is combined with very attractive incentive conditions.
In Kerala, for example, I saw that typical private rooftop systems are often around four kilowatt peak. For systems like these, there is a subsidy equivalent to about one kilowatt peak - roughly a quarter of the investment. In addition, the way electricity fed into the grid is accounted for is very attractive. As a result, PV systems in the private sector can in some cases pay for themselves within two to three years. Under these conditions, the question naturally arises: where could you invest your money better?
In many regions of India, the public electricity grid is not always reliable. What role can photovoltaics play here as a decentralized backup and self-supply solution?
This is a significant driver of the market. In Germany, emergency power plays hardly any role in private PV systems because the grid is very stable. In India, the situation is different: when power cuts occur more frequently and refrigerators, freezers or air-conditioning systems still need to run, decentralized self-supply becomes highly relevant.
That is why PV systems with a backup function are much more important there. Inverters can switch to the household grid in the event of a grid outage, and battery storage is becoming increasingly interesting so that electricity is also available at night or during longer outages. At the same time, there are discussions about increasingly combining residential PV systems with storage in the future - also to relieve the grids and improve grid stability.
Regional support programs and local market conditions are very important. India is a huge, federally organized country. The farther you move away from the central government in New Delhi, the more the structures and decisions of the individual states shape the market.
India is the focus country of Intersolar Europe 2026. Find the complete program and all related information about the event here .
