India is rapidly expanding its solar energy use. At the heart of this growth is the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). SECI is a government-owned agency. It helps build solar power across India.
This guide explains:
- What SECI is and why it matters
- Its roles and achievements
- How it supports solar energy in India
- Key challenges
- FAQs and future outlook
1. What Is SECI?
SECI was founded on September 20, 2011. It is fully owned by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
It started as a non-profit. In 2015, it became a commercial company under the Companies Act
In 2024, SECI earned Navratna status. This gives it more financial freedom—it can now invest up to ₹1,000 crore without government clearance en.wikipedia.org.
SECI will soon be renamed RECI (Renewable Energy Corporation of India) to reflect a broader renewable energy mandate
Also Read DIY Solar Panels: A Complete Guide for Indian Homes
2. SECI’s Core Roles
a. Implementing Solar Programs
SECI leads major solar initiatives under the National Solar Mission. This includes solar parks, rooftop solar, and canal-top solar schemes chronicleindia.in
It manages Viability Gap Funding (VGF) schemes and auctions for grid-connected projects chronicleindia.in.
b. Project Implementation & Consultancy
SECI builds projects for various PSUs. It also offers project management services drishtiias.com.
c. Power Trading
SECI has a license to trade solar power. It buys power from developers and sells it to DISCOMs under long-term PPAs vajiramandravi.com
d. Policy Support & R&D
SECI supports R&D in solar tech like floating solar and solar-wind hybrids drishtiias.com.
It also advises on policies, performance norms, and standardization .
3. SECI’s Achievements So Far
- ~56 GW capacity awarded through auctions drishtiias.com.
- Commissioned ~18 GW of solar capacity and 5,000 rooftop projects solarizeindia.in.
- Developed major solar parks like Bhadla (2.245 GW) and Kadapa (1 GW) in partnership with state/developer agencies en.wikipedia.org.
- Pioneered hybrid projects like solar-plus-battery plant in Chhattisgarh (152 MW + 40 MW/120 MWh) reddit.com.
- Rated AAA by ICRA; revenue of ₹7,284 crore and profit of ₹511 crore in 2023 drishtiias.com.
4. Recent Initiatives and Future Plans
Solar + Battery Projects
SECI is now building hybrid projects combining solar power and battery storage. They power peak demand better oilgasz.com
Auctions & Capacity Goals
It plans to tender 20 GW of solar, wind, and hybrid projects in FY25 and aims for 10 GW more by 2030 apnews.com
Investing Beyond Solar
SECI is exploring an IPO, raising funds to expand. It may soon list publicly reuters.com.
Expanding Renewable Scope
Soon-to-be RECI, it will include wind, green hydrogen, waste-to-energy, and EV charging in its portfolio solarizeindia.in.
5. Challenges Faced by SECI
- Grid integration delays and need for more storage.
- Land acquisition issues delaying mega solar parks apnews.com
- Financial stress at DISCOMs slows purchase of solar power economictimes.indiatimes.com
- Regulatory or planning delays in power pipelines .
- Bribery allegations in a 15 GW auction involving developers like Adani. SECI itself was not accused, but the incident highlights deeper systemic issues economictimes.indiatimes.com.
6. SECI’s Role in Achieving India’s Clean Energy Goals
India aims for 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, up from 172 GW today reuters.com.
SECI supports large-scale solar parks, rooftop schemes, canal-top installations, defense projects, and cross-border solar initiatives across Indo-Pak regions economictimes.indiatimes.com
Its policy facilitation, auctions, and procurement mechanisms are key to India’s solar growth.
FAQs: All About SECI
Q1. What is SECI?
SECI is a government-established solar energy company under MNRE. It promotes solar projects nationwide.
Q2. When was SECI set up?
It was founded in September 2011 and became commercialised in 2015.
Q3. What are SECI’s main tasks?
It organises auctions, develops solar parks, offers consultancy, trades solar power, and supports R&D.
Q4. How much solar capacity has SECI tendered?
About 56 GW has been awarded, and ~18 GW commissioned drishtiias.com.
Q5. What is Navratna status?
It allows SECI to invest up to ₹1,000 crore without needing central approval
Q6. Is SECI launching an IPO?
Yes. It plans to go public to help fund future projects reuters.com.
Q7. Why are bribery allegations important?
They involve a large auction. Though SECI was not accused, the issue must be watched as SECI holds major procurement power .
Final Thoughts
SECI is central to India’s solar revolution. Its efforts include developing parks, rooftop systems, hybrid plants, and procuring renewable energy nationwide.
It has laid strong foundations but still faces hurdles in grid integration, land, funding, and caution from DISCOMs.
As SECI transitions to RECI, it will more directly drive India’s full renewable energy goals—spanning solar, wind, green hydrogen, and energy storage.
If you’d like help exploring SECI-funded rooftop programs, auctions, or local installer guidance, I’m here to support you!
