GAIL India, a state-owned natural gas distribution business, has declared aspirations to enter the solar module manufacturing industry.

GAIL, previously Gas Authority of India Limited, has stated its ambition to work with other companies in order to establish a presence in India's booming solar module manufacturing market.

It intends to build a vertically integrated manufacturing facility capable of producing polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules. While GAIL has not announced the identity of the company with which it is looking for a partnership. Given its utter lack of experience in the manufacturing of renewable energy equipment, it is likely that it would want to collaborate with a company that is well-versed in solar power technologies.

GAIL's renewable energy experience, like that of most other non-power-sector government-owned firms, is limited to a few hundred megawatts of solar and wind energy projects. However, it has made some steps in recent years to change that. It indicated interest in acquiring 874 megawatts of wind energy assets from the financially ailing IL&FS in 2019. GAIL had offered Rs 48 billion for the operational assets. However, the company was defeated by Orix Corporation, who already owned 49% of the assets.

GAIL attempted to invest in a renewable energy startup once more in 2020. Acme Solar Holdings is a private solar power generator this time. GAIL apparently proposed acquiring a 49-74% stake in Acme, though this was never confirmed. Acme was one of the largest private solar power companies at the time, with a portfolio of 5.8 gigatonnes, including roughly 3 gigatonnes of operational assets.