Zero Duty, Maximum Energy: Why Budget 2026 Is A Win For Renewables

The Union Budget 2026 didn't arrive with the loud fireworks people usually expect. Instead, it delivered something more interesting: a set of customs duty changes that could reshape the economics of the country's energy transition.

Let's walk through what happened, sector by sector and why it matters.

Solar power: A seemingly small change that will support the entire sector

The government has reduced basic customs duty (BCD) on sodium antimonate from 7.5% to zero, but only for solar glass manufacturers. Sodium antimonate is added in small, required amounts to molten glass. It acts as a fining and clarifying agent, and helps remove tiny gas bubbles and impurities that naturally form when glass is melted.