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Intersolar India highlights Indian market potential

When Intersolar India closes its doors today, both the exhibitors and visitors should be very satisfied. The great expectations in the Indian solar market seem to have mobilized a number of smaller Indian companies, in addition to the big Indian and international players present there.

Around 6,000 visitors attended this year's Intersolar India.

Solarpraxis/Petra Franke

The interest in the show was evident through the crowds present at the visitor registration, which were a constant over the two days. Furthermore, exhibitors and visitors alike expressed their satisfaction at the trade show. That both big and small Indian companies want to install photovoltaic systems in India, also pleased many manufacturers and suppliers.

Currently, the country is in the second round of its National Solar Mission. As has been reported, the auction saw very low prices offered for photovoltaic projects, but many regard them as unrealistic.

The fear is great that the quality of the projects will suffer. Gyanaranjan Tripathy from Lanco, a major Indian project developer, believes that, in particular, maintenance costs have been underestimated.

Su-Kam, another Indian company, which has been primarily engaged in the off-grid photovoltaic business since 2005, and has installed around five megawatts each year, wants to now focus on large rooftop projects, where there is the potential to earn money from the attractive incentive program.

"The run on the large projects is great, and there is also attractive incentive programs, especially in Gujarat and Rajastan, which means you can realistically plan and build," says Rajiva Srivastava, director of the company.

His business, which already manufactures its own modules and other photovoltaic components, wants to manufacture crystalline modules for network integration from 2012.

This year's Intersolar India took place from December 14 to 16. Overall, its exhibition space doubled from 2010, and the number of exhibitors increased by 85 percent, to 264. Around half were Indian companies, while roughhly 30 came from Europe and China. A total of 18 countries were represented at the show. Meanwhile, over 6,000 visitors attended.