Tata Power in talks with Odisha Govt for 10 GW ingots and wafers plant

Company considering Gopalpur and Cuttack; project may cost ₹10,000 crore

Bhubaneswar: Tata Power is in early discussions with the Odisha government to set up a large 10 gigawatt (GW) ingots and wafers manufacturing facility in the state, reported ET citing two people familiar with the development. The proposed investment is estimated at around ₹10,000 crore, marking one of Tata Power’s biggest steps toward strengthening India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem.

Ingots and wafers are key raw materials used for making solar cells, solar panels and even semiconductor chips. Tata Power, which currently has 4.55 GW of cell and module manufacturing capacity, is aiming to produce these components in-house. This will help the company meet its own requirements and also supply to the growing domestic and export markets.

An official involved in the discussions said Tata Power is examining two possible sites—Gopalpur and Cuttack. Both locations offer convenient access to ports, an important factor for import of equipment and future exports. However, the official also noted that the plan is still at a preliminary stage.

Gopalpur, located along the eastern coast, hosts the Gopalpur Industrial Park developed by Tata Steel Special Economic Zone. This makes it a strong contender for the project. Tata Power has not commented on the development so far.

Tata Power CEO and Managing Director Praveer Sinha had earlier confirmed that the company intends to build a 10 GW ingots and wafers plant but has not yet finalized the location. Industry observers say Tata Power sees enough long-term demand for solar components in India and wants to reduce reliance on imports.

India has made progress in solar cell and module manufacturing in recent years, but it still depends heavily on imports for key components like polysilicon, ingots and wafers. These materials are mostly sourced from China, which alone supplies nearly 80 percent of India’s solar module imports.

Although India’s import dependence for solar modules has dropped to around 65–70 percent from 88 percent in 2015, the capacity is still insufficient to meet domestic demand expected over the next decade.

Tata Power’s move to enter ingot and wafer manufacturing could help bridge this gap and reduce costs for Indian developers.

Tata Power’s current capacity and future plans

•  Cell and module capacity: 4.55 GW (4.3 GW in Tirunelveli, 250 MW in Bengaluru)
• Utility-scale renewable capacity (Oct 2025): 5.7 GW (4.7 GW solar, 1 GW wind)
•  Target by FY2030: 33 GW
•  Coal-based capacity: 8.86 GW
• The company is also evaluating several sites for a possible entry into nuclear energy, signalling diversified long-term plans.

If discussions with the Odisha government progress smoothly, the ingots and wafers facility could become a major milestone for both Tata Power and India’s renewable energy sector. The state, which is already attracting significant investment in green energy and manufacturing, may benefit from new jobs, exports and industrial growth.

For now, the project remains under evaluation, but industry experts believe a final decision may come soon as India pushes to strengthen its solar supply chain and reduce import dependence.