NSFEI organized an interactive session on Solar Cell technologies research landscape in India – Industry Academia Collaboration in presence of officials from MNRE, TERI, DST along with Researchers and Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Sri Venkateswara University and other leading Engineering and Science research institutions. The discussion was focussed on how to make India a power house for high efficiency cell research (and manufacturing) through a proactive Industry – Academia partnership.

This session was organized as a precursor to NSEFI’s new manufacturing initiative which will be launched in the coming weeks. As a part of this initiative, NSEFI will launch a Research Advisory Coalition (RAC) in August consisting of NSEFI Members and Researchers from reputed Science and engineering institutes of the country. This Coalition will regularly interact and explore collaborations to target high-efficiency cell manufacturing in India, where India has a really good opportunity to lead.

Chairman Shri Pranav Mehta in his welcome address said that “NSEFI is ready to do our part in bridging the gap between Academia and Industry and this session is one of the many sessions aimed at bringing leading industries and researchers on a single platform. NSEFI Honorary DG Shri Deepak Gupta, IAS (retd.) mentioned that it is high time for Indian researchers and industry to work closer and improve India’s domestic manufacturing capabilities in high efficiency cell research. Dr P C Maithani, Director, MNRE delivered key note address outlining the growth of Solar cell R&D in India and what should be the way forward for researchers and Industry collaboration. Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Senior Director, TERI and Former CMD SECI spoke about the trajectory of solar prices evolution, need for an integrated platform for industry and academia to come together not only in the context of manufacturing but also in a broader perspective of solar plant performance. Dr Vineet Saini , Director (Energy and Water), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India lauded NSEFI efforts to create such platform and assured DST support.