India has taken a significant step towards strengthening its domestic solar manufacturing ecosystem, with IIT-Bombay-incubated Start-Up AnyD Materials unveiling the country’s first indigenous silver metallisation paste for silicon solar cells.

The development addresses a critical requirement in solar cell production. Silver metallisation paste is used to print the fine conductive grid lines on solar cells that collect and transport electricity generated from sunlight. As one of the most important materials in photovoltaic manufacturing, it directly influences cell efficiency and performance.

The innovation is particularly important for India’s push towards greater self-reliance in clean energy technologies. At present, the country imports approximately 500 tons of silver paste every year, with the annual import bill exceeding ₹10,000 crore.

By offering a domestically developed alternative, AnyD Materials aims to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers while supporting the objectives of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Industrial-scale trials of the company’s PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) metallisation paste have delivered encouraging results. Testing demonstrated a solar cell efficiency of 22.47%, indicating that the indigenous formulation is capable of meeting demanding industry performance standards.

Beyond localisation, the technology also focuses on resource optimisation. While leading international formulations typically contain around 90% silver, the development team has succeeded in reducing silver content by 3% without compromising electrical performance. The achievement could help lower material costs and improve the long-term economics of solar cell manufacturing.

The breakthrough emerged through close collaboration between AnyD Materials and the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT-Bombay. The effort was led by researchers including Prof. Anil Kottantharayil, Prof. Parag Bhargava and Dr. Shweta Singh, while also building upon the doctoral research conducted by Dr. Shiwani Pareek.

The project highlights the growing role of academic-industry partnerships in advancing India’s renewable energy ambitions. As the country continues expanding its solar generation capacity and pursuing greater supply-chain resilience, domestically developed materials are becoming increasingly important for reducing import dependency in high-value manufacturing segments.

Looking ahead, AnyD Materials is preparing for pilot-scale production of the silver metallisation paste. 

The Start-Up is also developing silver-coated copper metallisation pastes, a technology expected to further reduce silver consumption while maintaining the performance standards required by modern solar cell manufacturers.

If successfully commercialised at scale, the innovation could strengthen India's solar manufacturing value chain, lower reliance on imported critical materials, and enhance the competitiveness of domestically produced photovoltaic technologies.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)