Why do solar module model numbers in India now end in a four-letter country code?
Under an MNRE procedure of 1 October 2026, solar module model numbers registered with BIS carry a four-character suffix: two letters for the country where the module was made and two for the country that made its cells. One suffixed model cannot mix cells from different countries.
How the suffix works
- Format: original model number, a hyphen, then MMCC.
- MM is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the country of module manufacture.
- CC is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the country where the cells in that bill of materials were made.
- Example: a module made in India with Indian cells ends in -ININ.
Rules for manufacturers
- A model whose bills of materials use cells from different countries must be split into separate suffixed models.
- Cells from more than one maker are allowed under one model only if all those makers are in the same country and the approved bill of materials names each one.
- Existing BIS registered models must add the suffixed model numbers. If the change only removes or separates already approved cells, no fresh testing is needed; the lab issues a supplementary report.
Why it helps a buyer
The suffix lets you see from the label and datasheet where the cells came from, which matters for ALMM List-II and domestic content checks. If a datasheet shows no suffix on a model sold after the procedure, ask the seller why.
Reading two model numbers (illustrative)
- XYZ-550-ININ: module made in India, cells made in India
- XYZ-550-INCN: module made in India, cells made in China
- The two are separate BIS registered models, each with its own bill of materials
XYZ-550 is a made-up model used only to show the suffix.
What Senseible does here
Senseible can hold your module datasheets and invoices with the solar installation record, so the model number and its suffix are on file if a lender or buyer asks.
- How to check cells on ALMM List-II
- PM Surya Ghar domestic content modules
- BIS rules for solar inverters above 200 kW
Last reviewed 2026-10-23. MNRE SOP of 1 October 2026 under the Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025 (checked 23 October 2026).