Which solar projects must use ALMM/DCR? The 2026 applicability map

Buy the wrong panels and you can lose a subsidy or fail a tender. Knowing ALMM applicability projects up front — which scheme needs ALMM List-I, which needs DCR cells, and which is exempt — is the difference between a clean job and a stuck one. This guide maps it scheme by scheme.

What is the short answer on ALMM and DCR applicability?

The short answer: if a project takes central money or runs through a central tender, it almost always needs ALMM List-I modules, and some schemes also need DCR cells made in India. A fully private project with no subsidy usually needs neither. The exact rule lives in the live tender and the current MNRE order.

Two rules drive everything on this page. ALMM controls which approved modules you may use. DCR controls where the cells were made. A job can need both, one, or none. The rest of this guide sorts every common scheme into those buckets. Start with our ALMM & DCR hub for the wider playbook.

What is the difference between ALMM and DCR?

ALMM and DCR sound alike but check different things. ALMM is an approved-list rule; DCR is a made-in-India rule. You can pass one and fail the other, so treat them as two separate gates.

ALMM List-I — the approved module list

The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-I is MNRE's register of solar modules cleared for government-aided projects. If a scheme needs ALMM, you must pick a module model from List-I. A panel that is not on the list cannot be used, even if it is a good panel.

DCR — the Domestic Content Requirement

DCR means the solar cells, not just the modules, must be made in India. A module assembled in India from imported cells is not DCR. DCR is tracked through the NISE DCR portal, and it is the content rule that gates the residential subsidy.

Why the cell origin matters

Many EPCs get caught here. They buy an Indian-brand module, assume it is DCR, and only later learn the cells were imported. For DCR schemes, that module fails. Always ask for DCR certification down to the cell, not just the module.

Which schemes need ALMM List-I and which need DCR?

Here is the core map. Use it to pick the right module before you quote a job. Every row is a point-in-time rule — confirm each against the live tender and the current MNRE order, because applicability is litigated and changes.

Does PM Surya Ghar residential need ALMM and DCR?

Yes — and DCR is the hard gate. PM Surya Ghar, the rooftop residential subsidy, needs ALMM List-I modules and DCR cells made in India. Use a non-DCR panel and the homeowner can lose the subsidy, even if the system works fine.

DCR is the subsidy gate

For this scheme the cell origin decides whether the money comes through. The National Portal and the inspecting DISCOM check it. So for any subsidised home job, buy DCR cells from the start — never swap to cheaper imported cells to save cost.

Do SECI, NTPC and CPSU tenders need ALMM or DCR?

SECI, NTPC and CPSU tenders almost always need ALMM List-I, but DCR depends on the specific tender. These are central or central-public projects, so the approved-module rule is standard. The made-in-India cell rule applies only when that tender document asks for it.

Read the tender, not the rumour

Tender terms differ from one bid to the next. One SECI tender may demand DCR; the next may not. Do not assume. Read the bid document, find the content clause, and match your bill of materials to it. Getting this wrong can disqualify your bid or trigger a penalty.

Do state net-metering rooftop projects need ALMM?

Often yes for ALMM, usually no for DCR — but it is set by the state. State net-metering rooftop schemes frequently ask for ALMM List-I modules as a grid-connection condition, while DCR is usually not required unless a central subsidy is attached. The rule lives in your state policy and DISCOM circular.

Check the DISCOM, not just the state

Net-metering rules vary by state and even by DISCOM. Some insist on ALMM List-I for any grid tie; others are looser for self-funded systems. Our net-metering hub covers the DISCOM grid-approval steps. Confirm the panel rule before you order stock.

Do open access and group captive projects need ALMM?

Sometimes for ALMM, usually not for DCR. Open access, wheeling and group captive are private routes where a consumer buys power generated elsewhere or by a captive group. They often take no central subsidy, so DCR rarely applies, but a state or buyer may still demand ALMM List-I.

Open access and wheeling

In open access, power is wheeled across the grid to a private buyer. Whether ALMM applies depends on the state open-access regulation and any incentive attached. With no central subsidy, there is usually no DCR rule — but read the state framework carefully.

Group captive

Group captive lets consumers co-own a plant and draw its power. It is a private, commercial structure, so ALMM only applies if a state policy or the offtaker contract demands it. DCR is usually not in play. Confirm the buyer's content clause before you finalise modules.

Does a private C&I project need ALMM or DCR?

A purely private, self-funded C&I project that takes no central subsidy usually needs neither ALMM nor DCR. This is behind-the-meter solar a business builds for its own use. With no government money and no central tender, the content rules normally do not bind.

The one catch: how you connect to the grid

The exception is the grid tie. If your C&I rooftop connects under a state net-metering policy, the state or DISCOM can still require ALMM List-I modules, even with no subsidy. So check your connection route. Off-grid or behind-the-meter only? You have the widest module choice of any project type.

Does PM-KUSUM agri-solar need ALMM and DCR?

Yes — both usually apply. PM-KUSUM is a central agri-solar scheme, and its components generally require ALMM List-I modules and DCR cells. This means the cells must be made in India, not just assembled here, the same standard as PM Surya Ghar.

Components A, B and C

PM-KUSUM has separate components for ground-mount plants, standalone pumps and grid-connected pumps. Content rules can differ slightly by component and by state implementation. So check the current PM-KUSUM guideline and the live ALMM list for the exact component you are bidding before you order cells.

Which solar projects are exempt from ALMM and DCR?

The clearest exemption is the private, self-funded project with no central money and no grid content condition. If you take no subsidy, bid no central tender, and connect off-grid or under a net-metering policy that does not demand ALMM, you are generally free to choose any reliable module.

• Off-grid private systems — no subsidy, no grid rule, widest module choice.
• Behind-the-meter C&I — self-funded, no central tender, usually exempt.
• Some open-access / group captive — exempt unless the state or buyer adds a clause.

One warning: do not treat "exempt" as permanent. The ALMM List-II cell mandate, set to start around 1 June 2026, would push the content rule deeper into the supply chain. It faced deferment and court proceedings, including in the Karnataka High Court, so its status is not settled. Confirm whether it was deferred in the latest MNRE order — status as of 20 Jun 2026. Our List-II cell mandate guide tracks it.

How SuryaHub helps you pick the right BOM per scheme

The hard part is not knowing one rule; it is applying the right rule to each job. SuryaHub maps every scheme to the right bill of materials, so your team picks ALMM List-I or DCR cells only when a job needs them — and avoids over-buying premium DCR stock when it does not. It ties this into government workflows and procurement and inventory so the compliant module is the one that gets ordered. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, and the AI scheme-to-BOM mapping is on the roadmap — figures here are scheme facts, not guarantees.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Applicability rules, ALMM lists and DCR registration come from primary government sources. These rules are point-in-time and litigated — always verify against the current MNRE order, the live ALMM list and NISE before you buy or bid.

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) ↗

  ALMM orders, List-I and List-II notifications, and scheme guidelines.

• NISE DCR portal ↗

  Domestic Content Requirement registration and live cell-and-module traceability.

• National Portal for PM Surya Ghar ↗

  Where DCR modules are mandatory for the residential subsidy.