India Needs 888 GWh of Energy Storage by 2035-36 to Support Renewable Energy Growth: IESA Chennai Connect 2026

India’s clean energy transition will increasingly depend on its ability to scale up domestic energy storage technologies, as rapid renewable energy deployment creates growing requirements for grid flexibility and reliability.

India has surpassed 283 GW of installed renewable energy capacity, but technology integration and grid flexibility remain key challenges. According to discussions at the recently concluded India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Chennai Connect 2026, the country will require approximately 888 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2035-36 to meet rising electricity demand and support reliable integration of renewable power.

Industry experts at the event called for accelerated development of indigenous battery energy storage systems (BESS), alongside investments in domestic manufacturing, research and development, grid infrastructure and supporting supply chains.

Energy Storage Critical to India’s Renewable Energy Transition

Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor at IIT Madras, said energy storage would be one of the defining technologies of India’s energy transition and would be essential to complement renewable generation.

“Energy storage will be one of the defining technologies of India’s energy transition. Renewable energy must stay at the forefront, but it needs to be supported by storage to build a stronger, more reliable, and increasingly affordable power system,” he said.

According to Jhunjhunwala, technologies including sodium-ion batteries and long-duration storage solutions such as iron-air batteries could become increasingly important over the next five to seven years.

He also emphasised the need to develop domestic manufacturing capabilities across battery technologies, power electronics and the broader clean-energy supply chain to strengthen India’s long-term energy security.

IESA Calls for Integrated Domestic Storage Ecosystem

The summit highlighted the role of Indian innovation and manufacturing in addressing the country’s emerging energy storage requirements.

Bindu Madhavi, Senior Director-Policy and Regulatory at India Energy Storage Alliance, said India needs to build technology, manufacturing capacity, grid infrastructure and market mechanisms at a pace that matches its renewable energy ambitions.

“Storage must no longer be viewed as an add-on to renewable energy, but as an integral part of how India plans, builds and operates its future power system,” she said.

Madhavi called for an ecosystem extending beyond batteries to include materials and cells, battery management systems (BMS), power conversion systems (PCS), system integration, long-duration storage, grid technologies, recycling and second-life applications.

She added that the coming decade would be critical in determining whether India develops into not only a major energy storage market but also a global hub for storage technology, manufacturing and innovation.

Industry Highlights Need for Complete Battery Value Chain

Technical and business sessions at the summit focused on developing a comprehensive domestic battery value chain, covering modular storage solutions, second-life applications, supply chain resilience, recycling and advanced procurement models.

Bittu Singh, Manager, Power Trading and Sustainability at Customized Energy Solutions (CES), highlighted the growing importance of tailored electricity procurement strategies for commercial and industrial consumers.

“Tailored power procurement strategies, incorporating renewables, open access, and energy storage, are key to maximising value, resilience, and sustainability for Indian businesses,” he said.

The expansion of energy storage is also creating opportunities across sectors such as electric mobility, logistics and data centres, supporting technology adoption and potential job creation.

Modular BESS Deployment Expands Across Industries

The summit also highlighted the increasing adoption of modular and containerised battery storage systems across commercial and industrial applications.

Smisty Sharma, Senior Manager-BESS at Waaree Energy Storage, said modular and containerised BESS solutions are being deployed across sectors including data centres, hotels and hospitals.

“Modular and containerised battery energy storage systems are rapidly expanding across industries, from data centres and hotels to hospitals, helping reduce diesel dependence and enhance power reliability,” Sharma said.

Battery Recycling and Second-Life Applications Gain Momentum

Battery recycling and second-life applications are emerging as important components of India’s developing energy storage ecosystem.

Yashwanth Mahadevan, Chief Business Officer at Bridge Green Upcycle, highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence-based battery health assessment to determine whether used EV batteries can be repurposed or should be recycled.

“By using AI-based health assessment, we can repurpose EV batteries for second-life applications like cold storage and peak demand management, and recycle those that reach end-of-life, creating a more sustainable battery ecosystem,” he said.

India Encouraged to Remain Technology-Agnostic

Experts at the event also stressed the importance of maintaining a technology-agnostic approach as battery chemistries continue to evolve.

While lithium-ion batteries remain the dominant technology today, emerging chemistries such as sodium-ion, iron-air, zinc-based and vanadium redox flow batteries could serve different applications depending on cost, duration, performance and system requirements.

Prof. Nitin Muralidharan, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, said India should focus on developing domestic manufacturing capabilities across multiple technologies.

“While lithium-ion leads today, technologies like sodium-ion, iron-air, zinc-based batteries, and vanadium redox flow batteries will play vital roles in specific applications. India must remain technology-agnostic and focus on building strong domestic manufacturing capabilities,” he said.

Advanced BESS Seen as Key to Grid Flexibility

The growing deployment of advanced BESS is also expected to support grid flexibility, industrial optimisation and decarbonisation.

Adityan Devia, ESS Sales & Business Development, IMEA, said advanced battery storage systems are becoming essential for improving grid flexibility and enabling greater renewable energy utilisation.

“Advanced battery energy storage systems are now essential for grid flexibility, industrial optimisation, and decarbonisation, delivering tangible benefits such as reduced costs, improved reliability, and greater renewable energy use,” Devia said.

With supportive policies, expanding R&D infrastructure and growing private-sector participation, India is seeking to accelerate the development and deployment of energy storage technologies.

The discussions at IESA Chennai Connect 2026 highlighted that India’s clean energy transition will require more than continued expansion of renewable generation. Developing a technology-driven, domestically anchored and scalable energy storage ecosystem will be critical to integrating renewable power, strengthening grid reliability and supporting the country’s long-term energy ambitions.