India’s Energy Storage Pipeline Surges: 47 GW Battery, 23 GW Pumped Storage Under Development
NEW DELHI: India has nearly 47 gigawatts (GW) of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity at various stages of development, as the country accelerates its storage infrastructure to support the rapid expansion of renewable energy and meet rising electricity demand. This information was provided by the power ministry in a written reply to Parliament on Monday.
As of June 30, nearly 16 GW of BESS capacity was under construction, about 12 GW had been awarded, and another 19 GW was at the tendering stage, according to Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik. On the pumped storage front, 16 GW of projects are under construction, while an additional 7 GW has received concurrence and is awaiting construction.
According to the National Electricity Plan (Generation), India is projected to require 47 GW of battery energy storage capacity and 27 GW of pumped storage capacity by 2031-32. The minister stated that large-scale deployment of storage systems will be critical for integrating renewable energy, meeting peak electricity demand, and ensuring grid reliability.
The minister also informed that India will require investments of about ₹4.8 lakh crore in energy storage infrastructure by 2031-32 to support the growing share of renewable energy in the power mix. Of this total, approximately ₹3.5 lakh crore is estimated for battery energy storage systems and ₹1.3 lakh crore for pumped storage projects.
The storage push comes alongside an aggressive capacity addition programme. Since April 2023, 21 GW of thermal power capacity has been commissioned, while 48 GW, including 4.8 GW of stressed projects, is under construction. Contracts have also been awarded for another 16 GW of coal- and lignite-based capacity.
On the renewable side, 148 GW of capacity is under construction, while another 48 GW is at various stages of planning and targeted for completion by 2029-30. The ministry said India’s installed power generation capacity is projected to reach 874 GW by 2031-32, with states preparing 10-year resource adequacy plans to ensure generation capacity remains ahead of projected demand.
