Major changes have been made to the "Approved List of Models and Manufactures for Solar Photovoltaic Modules" (ALMM) by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), including a steep 80% drop in application fees as well as tripling enlistment validity.

According to a ministry statement, the MNRE has proposed a number of improvements to its ALMM process for solar photovoltaic modules. The main goals of the reforms are to lower costs for solar PV manufacturers, shorten the period between applications and enrollment, lessen the burden of compliance, and facilitate commercial transactions throughout the entire ALMM process.

The major reforms include the reduction in application fee by 80 per cent; a substantial reduction in inspection fee, with a reduction in certain cases being as high as 70 per cent and an exemption from factory inspection in case of enlistment of additional models in ALMM which are similar to those already enlisted by the applicant, but having lower wattage.

The reforms also included allowing the manufacturers to withdraw applications prior to factory inspection, with a refund of 90 per cent of the application fee and an increase in ALMM enlistment validity from two years to year years. The ministry also provided for a grant of provisional enlistment in ALMM within seven days of receipt of BIS registration and a time limit of two months for factory enlistment and final enlistment, failing which deemed enlistment. The reforms provide for enduse category-wise minimum module efficiency thresholds for enlistment in ALMM.

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