K Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar, recently lauded the National Solar Mission for creating a template for major growth in India. Subramanya was speaking at the International Conference on Renewable Energy at Amrita’s Coimbatore campus.
Subramanya said the solar industry should take a leaf out of China’s solar growth book. China has managed to maintain a steady expansion rate even though the industry in Europe and the US was facing problems. Subramanya mentioned the Chinese government played an important role in this regard and policy makers in India should support the industry in a similar manner.
Subramanya asked delegates at the conference to focus on research and development in the field. He asked them to look for ways to improve cell efficiencies, thinning silicon wafers and engineering new applications.
The other speakers at the seminar were Prof Juzer Vasi from IIT Bombay, Dr Md Nazeeruddin of the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland, Dr W S Sampath of the mechanical engineering department of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and Dr Madhu Atre.
Dr Nazeeruddin and Dr Sampath spoke over Skype.
