(Reuters) -India has introduced stringent norms for wind turbine equipment makers, requiring them to source key components domestically and comply with strict data localisation rules.
Manufacturers must now buy components like blades, towers, generators, gearboxes, and special bearings from vendors approved under a new government list, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said in a notification late on Thursday.
A technical team constituted by MNRE will carry out inspections, and a separate standard operating procedure will be issued.
The approved list of models and manufacturers will be issued by the ministry separately, the notification said.
The directive also mandates that all wind turbine data be stored within India, prohibits real-time operational data transfers abroad, and requires operational control and research and development centres to be located in India within one year.
The move aims at promoting domestic wind turbine manufacturing industry in the country, which is now at 20 GW in annual manufacturing capacity, as per government data.
India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity – including hydro and nuclear – by 2030, nearly double the current 235.6 GW.
Exemptions apply to certain bid-out and near-term projects, while new models under exemption are capped at 800 MW over two years and must submit quarterly progress reports, the notification said.
The move is likely to benefit domestic wind equipment makers like Suzlon Energy, Inox Wind and Adani Wind, and will likely be a setback for China’s Envision Group, which has gained a stronghold in the Indian market.
(Reporting by Sethuraman NR; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)
