Canadian Solar, the world’s third largest solar photovoltaic cell manufacturer, is looking to having a manufacturing base in India. It is currently in talks with the Hyderabad-based Solar Semiconductor for a possible takeover of the company.

The $1.6-billion Nasdaq-listed Canadian Solar, which has manufacturing facilities in Canada and China, has been among the leading suppliers of PV modules to solar power projects in India. One of the more recent of its supplies was to the 2.1-MW solar plant built on the airside of the Delhi International airport.

Though Canadian Solar counts India among its “largest markets”, its desire to have a manufacturing facility in India is at least in part due to the anti-dumping duties that products from China face in the EU and the US. Sources close to the development say that the possibility of India imposing stiff anti-dumping duties on solar modules from China has added strength to Canadian Solar’s decision to look for a production base here.

The company was set up by its current Chairman, President and CEO, Shawn Qu, in 2001, and was listed on Nasdaq in 2006.

Solar Semiconductor, whose plant in Hyderabad can produce 195 MW worth of modules, was founded by Hari Surapaneni, President & CEO, who set up Chiplogic, a semi conductor design company in 1997, and sold it in 2000 to the American giant, Analog Devices, for $100 million.

Canadian Solar scouting for a production base in India is a part of a trend. Many Chinese companies are similarly looking to drop anchor here. According to market sources, Chinese companies, notably, Yingli, ReneSola, CNBM, Trina and Canadian Solar, have been looking to have a manufacturing base in India.

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