Energy Storage Requirement Set to Reach to 888 GWh by 2035-36
An industry report states that India will need 888 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2035-36, rising from the current 1 GWh.
The report emphasized that energy storage is now a crucial element in enhancing grid reliability and facilitating the nation's renewable energy goals.
India is projected to need 888 GWh of energy storage system (ESS) capacity by 2035-36, a significant increase from the current 1 GWh scale, as outlined in the 'India BESS Market Review' published by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and Customized Energy Solutions (CES) during India Energy Storage Week (IESW).
The opening session of IESW 2026 included industry leaders and representatives from 15 nations. Debmalya Sen, President of IESA, remarked during the event that the IESW 2026 is not just an industry summit; it reflects the progress India has made in its clean energy efforts.
The 888 GWh goal by 2035-36 marks the beginning of a new phase where energy storage is crucial to our energy aspirations, Sen noted.
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Coordinated by IESA, the three-day gathering at Yashobhoomi (IICC) unites over 200 exhibitors and upwards of 10,000 industry leaders for policy dialogues, technical sharing, and updates that will shape India's clean energy shift. Radiance Renewables CEO Nitin Bhatia stated his belief that solar combined with battery energy storage is the future.
The report indicates that India's installed BESS capacity grew 11 times in merely six months, rising from 0.78 GWh in December 2025 to 8.7 GWh in H1 2026, with the nation likely to exceed 10 GWh of installed BESS capacity by year-end. In the first half of 2026, 47 GWh of energy storage system tenders were announced, increasing the overall tender pipeline to 260 GWh.
Tanya Singhal, Vice President and Country Head - India, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, stated that for a genuinely flexible and resilient grid, storage needs to be incorporated at the generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption stages. Till date, eighteen BESS projects have been launched, with 70 percent of the capacity increase in H1 2026 resulting from merchant BESS setups.
India's manufacturing activity is gaining speed, with existing Li-ion battery cell production capacity nearing 2 GWh and projected goals of roughly 110 GWh by 2030. By 2030, the capacity of cell/pack to container is projected to be 180-200 GWh.
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Venugopal Rao Maddisetty, Chairman and Managing Director of Pace Digitek, stated that energy storage has become a crucial national asset, allowing renewable energy to be dispatchable, stabilizing the grid, and improving resilience.
The report highlights that, despite fluctuations in global supply chains and increasing battery costs, India's BESS sector has shown exceptional resilience and is now acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
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Nikhil Bhuta, Director, DC&T (Belding India), stated that to ensure a sustainable future, India needs to develop and excel in local storage systems, controlling the value chain and establishing cost trends globally.