Government might ease grid connectivity for non-solar hours

05 Aug 2024 CW Team

The government is evaluating a proposal to reallocate the electrical grid capacity assigned to solar power producers without storage systems during non-solar hours. The proposal suggests that this capacity should be used primarily for power input through storage by existing or other generators.

Discussions are underway to limit the grid connectivity of solar power plants without storage systems to solar hours only, instead of the entire day. This change would free up the grid during non-solar hours, allowing for additional electricity to be introduced into the system, mainly through energy storage solutions.

Currently, under general network access norms, solar generators are allocated connectivity for the entire day. However, these projects only utilise the connectivity during solar hours, leaving it idle during the rest of the day. To address this, the central transmission utility plans to provide substation-wise availability information to all agencies responsible for auctions of renewable energy capacities, aiming to make better use of the underutilised grid during non-solar hours.

At present, approximately 71 GW of solar capacity is connected to the grid. Of this total, standalone solar projects connected to inter-state transmission lines that contribute power only during solar hours represent around 23 GW, according to another official.

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..