The $19bn National Solar Mission aims to generate 20GW of solar power into the national grid and 2GW for off-grid by 2022.

The first phase of the mission, which runs up to March 2013, targets to install 1GW of solar power, both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal.

As part of the first phase, India’s ministry of new and renewable energy had invited bids for a total of 500MW solar PV power generation capacity.