Africa is emerging as the next frontier for Indian renewable energy companies seeking growth beyond the domestic market, with Surat-based Navitas Solar becoming the latest player to move from supplying solar modules to executing utility-scale projects overseas.
The contract involves the development of a 54 MW captive solar power project worth close to ?200 crore in Zambia’s Serenje Province through the company’s EPC arm, Navitas Planet. The project, which is being developed to meet the power requirements of a mining company, is expected to be commissioned in the third quarter of FY27. “This project is meant to meet the captive power needs of a mining company. It should set the ball rolling for a lot more opportunities in the region,” Vijay Menon, Chief Operating Officer of Navitas Solar, told businessline.
Navitas will deploy its own TOPCon bifacial modules for the project, while inverters and other balance-of-system equipment will be sourced from an established Chinese manufacturer with service centres in the region. The company plans to source nearly half the equipment from India. Founded in 2013, Navitas Solar has a module manufacturing capacity of 3 GW. The Zambia project is its first utility-scale EPC assignment in Africa, following a 0.5 MW project in Latin America last year.
African foray
The company’s African foray comes as a handful of Indian renewable energy firms seek to establish an EPC presence on a continent that has historically been dominated by the Chinese. While Indian companies have supplied solar modules to Africa for years, utility-scale EPC opportunities have largely remained concentrated among a few players. Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, for instance, secured a ?1,313-crore, 240 MW AC solar EPC order in South Africa last year and now has four utility-scale projects under execution in the country. Jakson Green, meanwhile, has executed a 50 MWp solar EPC project and is implementing a 24 MWp solar-plus-storage project in West Africa.
Industry experts believe Africa could emerge as one of the most significant overseas growth markets for Indian renewable energy companies, but success will depend on much more than competitive EPC pricing. “Africa has abundant solar resources, rising electricity demand and a significant power access gap, making it one of the most attractive long-term renewable energy markets globally,” said Atanu Mukherjee, CEO of Dastur Energy, a global technology, engineering and advisory firm working across energy transformation, industrial decarbonisation, power systems, renewable integration and energy storage.
However, he cautioned that the opportunity should not be viewed as a uniform market or merely as an EPC play. “The winning model will not be just low-cost EPC execution,” Mukherjee said. “Indian companies will need strong engineering capabilities, local partnerships, storage integration, long-term operations and maintenance expertise, and a clear understanding of country-specific risks,” he added.
Tailored investment decisions
According to him, markets such as South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and Ethiopia each offer distinct opportunities across utility-scale solar, mining-linked power, industrial energy systems and storage. However, investment decisions will need to be tailored to local utility strength, regulatory maturity, tariff structures and project bankability.
Mukherjee said Indian firms possess valuable experience from building renewable projects in one of the world’s most cost-competitive markets, but competing with Chinese companies solely on price would be difficult given their manufacturing scale and financing advantages. Instead, Indian developers should differentiate themselves through engineering quality, execution reliability, lifecycle project performance and robust risk assessment.
He also flagged payment security, utility finances, currency volatility and regulatory stability as some of the biggest challenges in African markets. “Africa should be viewed as a strategic long-term market rather than simply an EPC export destination,” he said. “Companies that combine engineering excellence with financial discipline, local partnerships and strong project structuring will be best placed to build a sustainable presence,” Mukherjee added.
Published on July 14, 2026