The solar division of Tata International wants to expand business from 400 MW to 1,200 MW in the next three years. The company could invest in a foreign manufacturer for ramping up business.

Tata International is an unlisted trading and distribution arm of the Tata Group. It has vertical such as metals, leather and leather products, minerals and trading of agriculture products. The global revenue for FY15 was $2.2 billion. Head of Solar Business at Tata International, Anjan Ghosh, told BusinessLine that as solar power business is rapidly expanding, the company, using its strength in steel and metal trading, sought to upscale the solar business by offering services such as better designs and EPC capabilities to clients.

The core competency is in designing and making module mounted systems, where PV panels are firmly grouted. Since the life of a solar plant is of 25 years, panels need to be firmly grouted so that they can withstand winds and storms, he said.

Ghosh said the USP of the solar business was its design capability, for which a partnership had been reached with Spanish company Biosun. This partnership is coming up with light weight designs, helping reduce steel consumption of the modules. The project cost also has been reduced due to dip in steel usage. “The design requirements for Indian and European solar panels are completely different. In Europe, the panels need to take the weight of the snow but in India, strong winds put a lot of pressure. Therefore, Indian conditions require lightweight and a well-distributed structure,” Ghosh said.

Tata International’s client base consists of customers and developers who want to build and operate solar projects. Therefore, the company offers services right from surveying the project site, designing the solar panels and handling the power generated by the modules.

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