India’s Battery Storage Additions Set for 10-Fold Jump

09 Jan 2026 CW Team

IESA said 2026 represents a critical inflection point for the industry, with around 60 GWh of projects moving into the implementation phase after cumulative capacity under execution rose 84 per cent in 2025 to 224 GWh. IESA president Debmalya Sen said the focus will now be on whether projects perform in line with commitments, adding that financing—particularly for low-tariff projects—will be the next major challenge.

One of the most striking developments in 2025 was the sharp fall in tariffs. Standalone two-hour Battery Energy Storage System tariffs dropped from around Rs 0.221 million per MW per month in early 2025 to Rs 0.148 million per MW per month by the end of the year in a tender floated by APTRANSCO. Tariffs for solar-plus-four-hour BESS projects declined to Rs 2.70–2.76 per kWh, as more than 50 new bidders entered the market, intensifying competition.

March 2026 is expected to be a key milestone when Adani Group commissions one of the world’s largest single-location BESS projects, a 1,126 MW/3,530 MWh installation in Gujarat. January will see Rajasthan issue a tender for India’s largest solar-plus-BESS project at Pugal Solar Park, while the commercial and industrial segment is gaining traction following Juniper Green Energy’s commissioning of a 60 MWh merchant BESS project in December.

Vinayak Walimbe, managing director of Customized Energy Solutions, described the shift from tendering to execution in 2026 as a watershed moment for India’s energy storage sector. Government support has also played a role, with the second tranche of viability gap funding worth Rs 54 billion approved to back 30 GWh of standalone BESS capacity, alongside a mandate for 20 per cent domestic value addition. In addition, waivers on interstate transmission system charges have been extended until 2028 for pumped storage and solar-plus-BESS projects.

India’s battery energy storage capacity additions are expected to surge nearly ten-fold to about 5 GWh in 2026 from 507 MWh in 2025, driven largely by a sizeable backlog of projects under execution, according to a study by the India Energy Storage Alliance. The report notes that while 2025 was marked by unprecedented tendering activity, 2026 will be the year the sector transitions decisively from bidding to commissioning, as projects awarded since mid-2023 reach completion within typical timelines of 18 to 24 months. IESA said 2026 represents a critical inflection point for the industry, with around 60 GWh of projects moving into the implementation phase after cumulative capacity under execution rose 84 per cent in 2025 to 224 GWh. IESA president Debmalya Sen said the focus will now be on whether projects perform in line with commitments, adding that financing—particularly for low-tariff projects—will be the next major challenge. One of the most striking developments in 2025 was the sharp fall in tariffs. Standalone two-hour Battery Energy Storage System tariffs dropped from around Rs 0.221 million per MW per month in early 2025 to Rs 0.148 million per MW per month by the end of the year in a tender floated by APTRANSCO. Tariffs for solar-plus-four-hour BESS projects declined to Rs 2.70–2.76 per kWh, as more than 50 new bidders entered the market, intensifying competition. March 2026 is expected to be a key milestone when Adani Group commissions one of the world’s largest single-location BESS projects, a 1,126 MW/3,530 MWh installation in Gujarat. January will see Rajasthan issue a tender for India’s largest solar-plus-BESS project at Pugal Solar Park, while the commercial and industrial segment is gaining traction following Juniper Green Energy’s commissioning of a 60 MWh merchant BESS project in December. Vinayak Walimbe, managing director of Customized Energy Solutions, described the shift from tendering to execution in 2026 as a watershed moment for India’s energy storage sector. Government support has also played a role, with the second tranche of viability gap funding worth Rs 54 billion approved to back 30 GWh of standalone BESS capacity, alongside a mandate for 20 per cent domestic value addition. In addition, waivers on interstate transmission system charges have been extended until 2028 for pumped storage and solar-plus-BESS projects.

Infrastructure Urban

30 Jan 2026

Turning environmental challenges into recoverable value streams.

The lack of scalable, scientific solutions capable of handling legacy waste and complex urban waste streams led to the establishment of Blue Planet Environmental Solutions. In conversation with CW, Prashant Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, shares the company’s journey from a startup to a city-scale environmental infrastructure player, detailing large municipal projects, decades-old legacy waste remediation, land recovery outcomes and its expanding circular economy footprint.How has the visio..

Infrastructure Transport

30 Jan 2026

India's Highway Crisis!

Massive spending, inflated metrics, systemic delays and deep-rooted corruption now threaten the credibility of India’s highway expansion, observes LT GEN RAJEEV CHAUDHRY (Retd), former DG Border Roads.India is spending more on national highways than ever before. With Rs 2.72 lakh crore earmarked for FY 2025–26 and ambitious targets under the Amrit Kaal vision, the narrative is one of speed, scale and transformation. Yet, beneath the headline numbers lies an uncomfortable realit..

Infrastructure Urban

30 Jan 2026

Audit: Time to Elevate

The year 2026 got off to a sorry start for the elevator industry with a 31-year-old security guard crushed to death when a lift collapsed on him in a Mulund East (Mumbai) housing society, and two boys, aged 11, grievously injured by falling into a lift duct when the third floor lift door in their Goregaon (Mumbai) building gave way. Faulty door-lock wiring and poor maintenance by the vendor are most probably behind these tragic accidents.No month goes by without a fatal elevator accident in some city across India. CW asks why?To read the full story Click Here ..