Tata Power Picks Odisha for 10 GW Solar Wafer-Ingot Facility, Construction Begins in October

Tata Power has finalised Odisha as the location for its proposed solar wafer and ingot manufacturing facility, with construction scheduled to begin in October this year and commercial operations targeted for January 2028. The project will be developed on land acquired within the Tata Steel Special Economic Zone (SEZ), marking a key step in the company’s efforts to strengthen its domestic solar manufacturing value chain. 

The announcement was made by Tata Power Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Praveer Sinha during the company’s post-earnings conference call on Monday. He said the plant is expected to be completed in about 16 months from the start of construction, with work beginning after the company secures the remaining environmental, water and other statutory approvals. 

The decision ends months of uncertainty over the project’s location. Tata Power had earlier evaluated multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, before confirming Odisha for the investment. According to Sinha, the final choice followed an assessment of the incentives and overall support offered by competing states, along with the advantage of having suitable land already available in Odisha. 

The proposed facility will manufacture solar wafers and ingots—critical upstream components used in the production of solar cells and modules. Tata Power has said its existing integrated 4.3-gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing plant is already operating at full capacity and there are no plans to expand that unit. Instead, the company is focusing on adding wafer and ingot manufacturing capacity to deepen its integration across the solar supply chain. 

The Odisha project is expected to be developed with a planned capacity of 10 gigawatts in two phases of 5 GW each. The investment is estimated at around ₹6,675 crore, making it one of the country’s largest proposed wafer and ingot manufacturing facilities. 

Sinha also pointed to emerging opportunities in overseas markets as Europe increasingly looks to diversify renewable energy supply chains away from China. He said Tata Power views this shift as a significant opportunity and is evaluating export prospects.

According to the company, export demand could initially reach between 2 GW and 3 GW for a single country, with the potential to expand further into additional international markets. Most solar modules currently installed across Europe are imported from China, creating scope for alternative suppliers as buyers seek more diversified sourcing. 

The Odisha facility forms part of Tata Power’s broader strategy to strengthen India’s domestic solar manufacturing ecosystem by producing key upstream materials that are currently imported in large volumes. Once operational, the plant will complement the company’s existing cell and module manufacturing operations while supporting India’s push to build an integrated and self-reliant renewable energy supply chain.