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India has 5.3GWh of operational battery energy storage system capacity, while 185GWh is under development, according to a Central Electricity Authority official. The CEA estimates the country will need 236GWh of storage by 2031-32; whether projects in the pipeline will be built and connected remains uncertain.
India has 5.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of operational battery energy storage, with another 185GWh under development, a Central Electricity Authority (CEA) official said. The figures signal a substantial pipeline, but do not mean all proposed projects are financed, under construction or certain to operate; the CEA estimates the country will need 236GWh of storage by 2031-32.
CEA official Bhamu presented the figures while describing storage’s role in India’s electricity system. Battery and other forms of energy storage can help balance variable output from solar and wind, meet periods of peak electricity demand and provide services to the grid. The official’s figures distinguish existing operational battery capacity from projects at different stages of development.
Bhamu said government support includes viability gap funding, transmission charge waivers, storage obligations and procurement frameworks for battery and pumped hydro projects. Under one battery-storage viability gap funding scheme, an initial allocation of INR 90 billion (about US$947.6 million) supported 13.2GWh, compared with an initial expectation of 4GWh as costs declined, according to the address. The central government provided capital grants of about INR 37.6 billion.
He also cited a separate 30GWh battery scheme backed by the Power System Development Fund. The two schemes together supported 43.2GWh of capacity, based on the figures he presented. That support is distinct from the 5.3GWh reported as already operational and the 185GWh described as under development.
Storage Pipeline Faces Delivery Tests
The reported pipeline is large relative to the CEA’s stated requirement: 185GWh under development is approaching the authority’s estimate of 236GWh needed by 2031-32. But the comparison is not a measure of completed supply. A project listed as under development may still need approvals, financing, a buyer, construction and grid connectivity before it can contribute power-system services.
That distinction matters as India expands renewable generation. Storage can shift electricity from periods of plentiful solar output to hours when demand is higher or renewable production is lower. It can also support grid operations. If projects are delayed or fail to progress beyond procurement, the capacity in the pipeline will not be available to perform those functions on the schedules expected.
The implementation challenge is reflected in Bhamu’s account of cancelled tenders and developers withdrawing after submitting bids. He said some bids were difficult to sustain, while some projects did not have the grid connectivity they required. The figures therefore describe both a growing investment pipeline and the need to turn proposals into operating assets.
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Policy Measures and Capacity Targets
India has introduced several measures intended to make storage projects commercially viable. Bhamu said the government raised energy storage obligations for distribution utilities from 1% to 4% of electricity demand. The CEA has also advised that upcoming renewable-energy tenders include co-located storage of up to 10% of renewable capacity, with two hours of storage duration. The supplied material does not specify how much capacity these requirements will produce or how quickly they will be implemented.
For pumped hydro, the government has identified roads, bridges and transmission lines as enabling infrastructure that could benefit about 15GW of projects. Bhamu also cited a government roadmap for approximately 100GW of pumped hydro projects. Those figures refer to projects or potential support, not operational storage capacity.
Other measures include infrastructure status for battery and pumped hydro storage, a legal framework allowing storage to operate as an independent service, and procurement guidance for competitive bidding. A green energy corridor scheme for intra-state transmission is intended to support 50GWh of co-located battery storage, with implementation targeted for 2032-33. These targets and policies sit alongside the reported operational total; they should not be read as additions already online.
How Much Pipeline Will Be Built?
The supplied figures do not break the 185GWh development pipeline down by project stage, expected completion date, technology, location or financing status. It is not clear how much is contracted, being built, awaiting approvals or still at an earlier planning stage. The report also does not give a date for the figures or identify a detailed project-by-project methodology.
The official identified tender cancellations, unsustainable bids and inadequate grid connectivity as obstacles, but the material does not quantify how much capacity has been delayed or abandoned for each reason. Nor does it establish how much of the government-supported capacity is already included in the 185GWh pipeline. Those gaps limit direct comparisons between support schemes, projects under development and the operational total.
Several policy measures remain future-facing. For example, safety provisions and construction standards were said to take effect from April 2027, while the green corridor scheme has an implementation target of 2032-33. The source does not provide further detail on compliance, project schedules or the expected contribution of individual measures.
Connecting Projects to the Grid
Bhamu said the Ministry of Power had identified around 30GW of transmission connectivity during non-solar hours. Developers may be able to use that capacity without applying for new connectivity, potentially easing one source of delay. The supplied material does not identify specific projects using the available access or give a schedule for connecting them.
The next test is whether tendered projects can secure grid access, reach construction and begin operation. The government is also pursuing a tender for 10GWh of battery manufacturing capacity under a production-linked incentive framework, according to Bhamu. The effort is intended to strengthen domestic supply, but the material does not report an award or production start date.
Bhamu described distribution- and consumer-level storage as a growing part of the next phase, including batteries at substations and distribution feeders, systems at commercial and industrial sites, and rooftop solar paired with storage. Time-of-day tariffs could encourage charging during solar hours and use during higher-priced evening periods. For now, the source describes these as potential applications and policy directions, not a confirmed deployment schedule. Further project awards, connection updates and operating-capacity reports will show how much of the pipeline becomes available to the grid.
Key Questions
How much battery storage is operational in India?
A CEA official reported 5.3GWh of operational battery energy storage. The figure is for battery storage and should not be confused with the larger development pipeline or pumped hydro targets.
What does the 185GWh figure mean?
It is the amount of battery storage the official said was under development. The supplied report does not say how much is under construction, financed or scheduled to enter operation, so it is not equivalent to completed capacity.
How much storage does India expect to need?
The CEA estimates India will need 236GWh of storage by 2031-32. The source does not provide a breakdown of that requirement by technology or project.
What is holding storage projects back?
Bhamu cited cancelled tenders, bids that were difficult to sustain and inadequate grid connectivity. The report does not quantify the amount of capacity affected by each problem.
What government support has been announced?
The official cited viability gap funding, capital grants, a separate battery scheme, storage obligations and procurement frameworks. He also described transmission and manufacturing initiatives; the reported capacity figures for these programs are not the same as operational capacity.
Source: energy-storage.news
