India Launches Giga-Scale Battery Plan, Offers Subsidies To Boost Grid Energy Storage | Exclusive

Published 17 July 2026 · india

India Launches Giga-Scale Battery Plan, Offers Subsidies To Boost Grid Energy Storage | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 17, 2026, 08:56 IST The new

India Launches Giga-Scale Battery Plan, Offers Subsidies To Boost Grid Energy Storage | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: July 17, 2026, 08:56 IST The new scheme aims to boost domestic advanced battery cell production, reduce import dependence and strengthen India’s long-term energy security. Rapid Read The Centre has launched a fresh effort to build India's domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem, inviting companies from across the world to set up giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing facilities for grid-scale energy storage. (AI-generated image) The Centre has launched a fresh effort to build India’s domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem, inviting companies from across the world to set up giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing facilities for grid-scale energy storage. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage, seeking bids from Indian and global companies, private firms, public sector entities, LLPs and investment funds. The selected companies will receive government subsidies linked to the creation of manufacturing capacity and the localisation of production. The move comes as India prepares for a rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity, with large-scale battery storage expected to play a crucial role in balancing the electricity grid.

Officials say domestic manufacturing is also essential to reduce dependence on imported battery cells, particularly as demand rises for clean energy and power backup solutions. The initiative is part of India’s broader strategy to create a robust domestic battery supply chain as the country scales up renewable energy deployment, expands grid storage capacity and strengthens its clean energy ambitions, a senior official said. By encouraging the local manufacturing of advanced battery cells, the government hopes to cut import dependence, attract large-scale investment and position India as a global manufacturing hub for next-generation energy storage technologies. Under the scheme, successful bidders will have to establish advanced battery manufacturing facilities with at least 25 per cent domestic value addition within two years of the commencement of the project. Within five years, they must set up a minimum manufacturing capacity of one gigawatt-hour (GWh) while increasing domestic value addition to at least 40 per cent. The programme allows companies to establish integrated manufacturing units or adopt a “hub-and-spoke" model, under which different components of the battery ecosystem are produced by indigenous manufacturers while meeting localisation requirements.