Govt considering basic customs duty of 20% on solar energy equipment

At present, 15 per cent SGD is applicable on solar cells. This would be zero or nil from July 30, 2020

The government is considering basic customs duty of around 20 per cent on solar energy equipment to provide an edge to domestic manufacturers and discourage imports, particularly from China.

However, solar energy developers are of the view that basic customs duty (BCD) on solar equipment will be counterproductive for the segment in view of India's ambitious target of having 100 GW of solar energy by 2022.

"The government is actively considering about 20 per cent basic customs duty on solar equipment because safeguard duty (SGD) on these is applicable till July 29, 2020," a source said.

At present, 15 per