MNRE's New Solar Module Model-Number Rule: Why Cell and Module Origin Will Now Be Easier to Trace

India has introduced a deceptively simple change to solar-module identification that could have significant consequences for procurement and supply-chain traceability.

MNRE's Standards & Quality Control Division issued a new SOP dated 1 October 2026 and published it on the ministry website on 5 October 2026 for updating solar-PV module model numbers in BIS registration. The core change is only four characters, but those characters identify two increasingly important facts: where the module was manufactured and where its solar cells were manufactured.

The New MMCC Format

For new BIS registrations or model inclusions, manufacturers must add a four-character suffix to the existing module model number. The structure is Original Model Number – MMCC, where MM is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for the module-manufacturing country and CC is the corresponding code for the solar-cell manufacturing country.

Conceptually, ABC-550-ININ would identify a module manufactured in India using cells manufactured in India. This example illustrates the coding logic; it is not a certification statement for any actual product.

Why MNRE Introduced It

Applicable QCO, series-approval and BIS requirements did not prescribe a universal model-number nomenclature that directly exposed module and cell manufacturing countries. MNRE says the new mechanism is intended to create a clear, consistent and verifiable mechanism for traceability. Module model names alone can otherwise tell procurement teams very little about the underlying supply chain.

One Model Cannot Hide Multiple Cell Countries

If a manufacturer has more than one BOM under the same original module model and those BOMs use cells manufactured in different countries, separate country-coded model numbers must be created. A single suffixed model number cannot represent BOMs containing cells manufactured in different countries. This substantially improves traceability.

Can Different Cell Manufacturers Still Be Used?

Yes. MNRE allows multiple cell manufacturers within a particular model provided those cells are manufactured in the same country and the approved BOM clearly identifies the manufacturers and relevant cell details. Country traceability therefore does not necessarily mean single-supplier sourcing.

What Happens to Existing BIS Models?

Existing BIS-registered module models are not exempt. Manufacturers must create corresponding additional model numbers incorporating the four-character country identifier, and their BOM must then restrict or separate solar cells according to the country represented in the suffix.

Will Every Existing Module Need Fresh Testing?

No. Where the new model merely deletes, restricts or separates already-approved cells or cell variants from the existing BOM, and introduces no new component, material, manufacturing process or design change requiring testing, MNRE says fresh testing is not required. The existing test report can be relied upon after documentary verification of the revised BOM, with a supplementary report linked to the original test report.

When Is Retesting Required?

If a new BOM is added, applicable retesting guidelines, series guidelines and model-identification requirements apply. The practical distinction is between supply-chain separation of already-approved components, which may follow a documentary route, and a new BOM, design, material or component, which may trigger applicable testing or retesting.

What Must Manufacturers Submit?

For relevant model additions, manufacturers must provide documentation including original test reports, revised BOM, solar-cell model number except where not applicable to thin-film modules, cell manufacturer's name and address including country, and a declaration that cells represented by the particular suffixed model are manufactured in the stated country. Testing laboratories must verify that module-manufacturing location matches the first two characters and cell-manufacturing country matches the last two.

The 180-Day Transition

MNRE gives manufacturers of existing BIS-registered models 180 days from issuance of the Office Memorandum to complete the required country-coded registration process. After that period, BIS is instructed not to accept or process new model registration, inclusion or addition where the prescribed model-number and BOM mechanism has not been followed. This is therefore an operational compliance issue, not an optional labelling suggestion.

Consistency Across Documents

Once approved, the complete country-coded model number must be used consistently across product marking, test reports, BIS certificates, module datasheets and other documents where the model number is declared. This is valuable for EPC procurement and project audits because equipment delivered to site can increasingly be checked against datasheets, BIS certificates, test documentation, BOM identity and product labels.

Does This Automatically Prove DCR Compliance?

No. This distinction is critical. A country-coded model number improves traceability of the declared module and cell manufacturing countries. It should not automatically be treated as a substitute for whatever documentary and portal requirements apply to DCR, ALMM or a particular government scheme. Traceability infrastructure can support compliance verification; it does not erase the underlying regulatory rules.

Why This Matters Beyond BIS

India's solar supply chain is becoming progressively more granular. Policy is moving from asking whether a module was made in India toward being able to ask where the module was made, where the cells were made, which BOM was certified and whether those claims can be traced consistently through documentation. Future localisation policies may increasingly depend on this level of data integrity.

Implications for EPC Companies

EPC procurement teams should ensure that purchase orders, datasheets, invoices, BIS documentation and module labels use the exact approved model number. A seemingly minor model-code mismatch could otherwise create avoidable questions during inspection, financing due diligence, government-scheme verification, warranty claims or regulatory audit.

Implications for Manufacturers

Manufacturers need to map existing BIS models to BOMs, cell suppliers, cell-manufacturing countries and required new model codes. Companies sourcing cells from multiple countries under one historical model may face the greatest documentation workload.

Implications for Buyers

Consumers should not be expected to decode every certification document. But commercial and utility buyers should increasingly insist on exact model identity, valid BIS certification, applicable ALMM status, BOM consistency and required origin documentation. Procurement should move away from accepting only a generic statement such as 'Tier-1 module'; that phrase is not a regulatory certification.

Implications for Rajasthan

Rajasthan is simultaneously a major renewable-project market and a growing rooftop, agricultural and C&I solar market. For Rajasthan's EPCs and developers, better traceability can reduce disputes over what equipment was promised versus what was actually delivered and can raise the professional standard expected from procurement teams.

What the Industry Should Do Now

Manufacturers should begin the BIS transition rather than waiting for the 180-day window to close. Testing laboratories need consistent verification processes. EPCs should update procurement templates. Developers should preserve model and BOM documentation. Financiers and technical due-diligence teams should incorporate the new model-identification structure into equipment verification. Policymakers should ensure that BIS, ALMM, DCR and other traceability systems become interoperable rather than duplicative.

Key Takeaways

MNRE's new model-number format is Original Model Number – MMCC. MM identifies the module-manufacturing country and CC identifies the solar-cell manufacturing country. Different cell-manufacturing countries require different model numbers. Existing BIS models must transition. Document-only changes may avoid fresh testing where no new component, material, design or manufacturing process is introduced. The complete approved model number must flow consistently through labels, certificates, reports and datasheets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does MMCC mean?

The first two characters identify the module-manufacturing country and the next two identify the solar-cell manufacturing country.

What would ININ mean?

Under the prescribed ISO-country-code logic, it would indicate India as both module- and cell-manufacturing country.

Can the same model use cells made in different countries?

Not under one identical country-coded suffix. BOMs using cells manufactured in different countries require separate model numbers.

Does changing the model number require full retesting?

Not necessarily. Where only already-approved BOM elements are being restricted or separated and there is no relevant technical change, documentary verification can be sufficient.

Is the new code the same as DCR certification?

No. It improves traceability but does not by itself replace scheme-specific DCR compliance requirements.

When does the transition become mandatory?

Existing manufacturers have a 180-day compliance period under the SOP, after which new model applications must follow the prescribed mechanism.

REAR Perspective

This looks like a small naming reform, but it is part of a larger transition toward traceable renewable-energy supply chains. REAR supports stronger traceability where it improves quality, accountability and fair competition, while implementation should remain technically clear, digitally integrated and administratively efficient. The objective should be better verification without unnecessary duplication of compliance.