No custom duty for India's solar equipment imports

The Budget previously proposed a 20% duty on solar equipment.

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said that the basic customs duty (BCD) for imported solar cells will be zero at the current financial year, citing the country’s latest Union Budget speech. Previously, the Budget proposed a 20% BCD on solar equipment.

MNRE also said that solar will not attract any BCD. “Though the tariff rate on the aforesaid new tariff items has been increased from nil to 20%, the BCD on (solar cells, not assembled) and (solar cells, assembled in modules or made up into panels), remains 'nil',” the announcement read.

In a separate announcement, MNRE told India’s solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers to provide a list of their machinery and capital goods required for inclusion in the BCD exemption list.