MNRE offers up to ₹2 crore for industrial solar-heat projects

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has invited proposals for concentrating solar thermal systems used in industrial process heating. Projects can receive viability-gap funding of up to 50% of costs, capped at ₹2 crore, benefiting energy-intensive supply chains including food processing and textiles.

— Source publishedWed, 9 Sept, 2026, 00:04 IST·First seen Wed, 9 Sept, 2026, 00:19 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy · MNRE invited proposals for concentrating solar thermal systems for industrial process heating, offering viability-gap

Key facts

  • Up to 50% of project cost
  • ₹2 crore maximum support per project
  • October 7 proposal deadline

Why this matters

Solar-thermal developers, EPCs, and industrial equipment providers have a near-term partnership opportunity to package funded project proposals for qualifying manufacturers before applications close.

What to watch

  • Number, size and sector mix of proposals submitted by October 7.
  • MNRE award announcements, disbursement timelines and clarification of eligible technologies and project costs.
  • Natural-gas, LPG, diesel and coal price movements that determine actual savings versus solar thermal.
  • Large food, textile and packaging suppliers announcing solar-thermal installations or renewable-process-heat targets.
  • Retailer and brand procurement policies adding low-carbon manufacturing requirements.
  • Map suppliers in food processing, textiles, dairy, beverages, paper/packaging and other heat-intensive categories that may qualify before the October 7 deadline.
  • Ask strategic vendors whether they will apply, what fossil fuel is being displaced, expected commissioning dates and whether savings can be reflected in supply contracts.
  • Evaluate co-financing, long-term offtake commitments or aggregated procurement for supplier clusters where the subsidy cap leaves a funding gap.
  • Track whether competitors use renewable-heat sourcing in private-label, apparel or packaged-food sustainability marketing.