India’s Battery Energy Storage Surge: Standalone Systems Take the Spotlight
- RE Society of India RESI
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 10 minutes ago
India’s energy transition is accelerating with a remarkable rise in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), especially standalone installations, as detailed in the latest Renewable Energy Chronicles: The Power Saga (Vol. 04/2025) released by the Renewable Energy Society of India (RESI).
In Q1 2025 alone, over 6 GWh of standalone BESS tenders were issued, surpassing the total tender volume of 2024, indicating robust central and state-level momentum. To date, 38 GWh of BESS capacity has been tendered, with over 32 GWh still live, showcasing growing market maturity.
India’s clean energy strategy is being reshaped by the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, providing up to 30% capital support for developer-led projects, and a dedicated Balancing Pool Mechanism to ensure revenue stability. As a result, leading developers are driving competitive tariff bids, which have fallen by nearly 75% since FY2022.
Key highlights from the report include:
155 GWh of cumulative ESS tenders issued across government and private initiatives.
Government targets of 42 GW BESS by 2030, scaling to 320 GW by 2047.
Nearly 81% implementation success rate for tenders issued between FY2022–2025.
Emerging BESS hubs in Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, UP, AP, and Jharkhand, apart from Gujarat & Rajasthan.
However, challenges persist, including project cancellations due to issues of tariff adoption delays and a lack of unified norms.
With support from agencies like NTPC, SECI, GUVNL, and SJVN, and increasing interest from DISCOMs, India’s BESS market is poised for transformative growth, playing a pivotal role in grid resilience, peak load management, and renewable energy integration.
Read the full report:
Register for the Mercom India Renewables Summit 2025: mercomindia.com/event/renewables-summit-2025
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