China Proposes Export Controls on Solar Manufacturing Technology: What It Means for India's Solar Push
China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology released a draft revision of the country's list of technologies that are banned or restricted from export. The draft covers about 40 technologies across three sectors: artificial intelligence (AI), biomedicine and photovoltaics (solar power).
Across all three sectors, the draft proposes outright export bans on 14 technologies and new restrictions on 26 more. For solar, reports say 12 manufacturing technologies and core equipment are covered.
The solar items include the know-how for making next-generation perovskite and perovskite-silicon tandem cells and modules (for example, tandem cells on wafers of 182 mm or larger with 30% or higher efficiency), and tighter limits on some polysilicon-making techniques.
The draft does not stop China from selling finished solar panels, cells or wafers. It targets the technology and machines used to make them.
Public comments are open from 16 October to 15 November 2026. Meanwhile, exporters must register planned exports of the listed technologies with the Ministry of Commerce.
Analysts see this as China trying to keep its lead in solar manufacturing at a time when India, the United States and Europe are building their own factories to reduce dependence on China.
Solar PV Manufacturing Value Chain: Polysilicon, Ingots, Wafers, Cells, Modules
A solar panel is not made in one step. It is made in a chain of five main stages: polysilicon → ingot → wafer → cell → module. Each stage takes the product of the earlier stage and turns it into something more advanced. This whole chain is called the solar PV (photovoltaic) manufacturing value chain. A country that controls the early stages of this chain has great power over everyone who makes panels later.
China's draft rules target the know-how and equipment for the most advanced parts of this chain, such as perovskite and tandem cells and some polysilicon methods. India is trying to move from module assembly to making cells, wafers and polysilicon. If China blocks the transfer of technology and machines, India will have to develop more of it at home or get it from other partners.
Export Control Regimes: Wassenaar Arrangement, MTCR, NSG and Australia Group
An export control is a rule by which a country stops or limits the sale of certain goods, software or know-how to other countries. Usually it applies to things that could help build weapons or that give a country an important strategic edge. Export control regimes are informal groups of countries that agree on common lists of such items and coordinate their rules. There are four main global regimes: the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement.
China is using its national export control tools, its technology catalogue under the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Science and Technology, to limit the export of advanced solar know-how and equipment. This is not linked to any of the four global regimes; it is a national decision about economic and strategic advantage. It shows how export controls, first built to stop weapons, are now used in the competition over clean-energy supply chains.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme gives companies a cash reward for making goods in India. The reward is a percentage of their extra sales of goods made in Indian factories. It started in 2020 and now covers 14 sectors. One of these is high-efficiency solar PV modules, run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The solar PLI is India's main tool to build the upstream stages (polysilicon, ingots, wafers) where China is strongest. If China restricts exports of key technology and equipment, PLI factories planning upstream plants may face delays or higher costs in getting the machines and know-how they need.
- China's draft revision: about 40 technologies across AI, biomedicine and photovoltaics; 14 proposed export bans and 26 new restrictions across sectors; reports say 12 solar technologies and core equipment are covered
- Issued by China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology; comments open 16 October to 15 November 2026
- Solar items include perovskite and perovskite-silicon tandem technology (for example, tandem cells on wafers of 182 mm or more with 30% or higher efficiency) and some polysilicon techniques; finished panels are not blocked
- China's share of global solar manufacturing: over 80% across main stages; about 95% in polysilicon, ingots and wafers (IEA)
- India: over 228 GW module capacity (ALMM List-I, September 2026); about 35 GW cell capacity (List-II, August 2026); about 171 GW solar installed (September 2026)
- ALMM List-II for cells mandatory from 1 June 2026; wafers (List-III) proposed from 1 June 2028
- Solar PLI: ₹4,500 crore (Tranche I) + ₹19,500 crore (Tranche II); about 48 GW awarded
- India in MTCR (2016), Wassenaar (2017), Australia Group (2018); not in NSG