First Solar, Avaada among winners of India’s $2.4 billion green stimulus

First Solar Inc. and Avaada Group are among winners of India’s Rs 195 billion ($2.4 billion) in incentives to encourage domestic manufacturing of solar modules.

Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar won a government grant of Rs 11.78 billion for its planned 3.4 gigawatt Tamil Nadu plant, which will be a fully integrated facility, Sujoy Ghosh, the company’s India managing director, said by phone.

Avaada Group, backed by Thailand’s oil and gas major PTT Pcl, was also awarded a grant, according to its chairman, Vineet Mittal. The company won a production-linked incentive of 9.62 billion rupees for 3 gigawatts of capacity — from wafers to cells and modules, he said, adding the company would consider expanding the project to 5 gigawatts.