India’s clean energy transition will depend on rapidly scaling up domestic battery energy storage technologies, with the country requiring an estimated 888 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2035–36 to meet rising power demand and ensure grid reliability. At the recently concluded India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Chennai Connect 2026, industry experts called for faster development, manufacturing and deployment of indigenous Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor, IIT Madras, highlighted the growing role of sodium-ion and long-duration technologies such as iron-air batteries, while stressing the need for domestic manufacturing across batteries, power electronics and the clean-energy supply chain.
Bindu Madhavi, Senior Director – Policy and Regulatory, IESA, said India must rapidly build technology, manufacturing capacity, grid infrastructure and a strong market ecosystem, with storage becoming an integral part of the power system. Bittu Singh, Manager – Power Trading and Sustainability, Customized Energy Solutions (CES), emphasised tailored power procurement strategies combining renewables, open access and storage. Smisty Sharma, Senior Manager – BESS, Waaree Energy Storage, highlighted the growing adoption of modular and containerised BESS across data centres, hotels and hospitals, while Yashwanth Mahadevan, Chief Business Officer, Bridge Green Upcycle, pointed to AI-based battery health assessment, second-life applications and recycling as key elements of a sustainable battery ecosystem.
India’s technology-agnostic approach is also creating opportunities across lithium-ion, sodium-ion, iron-air, zinc-based and vanadium redox flow batteries. Prof. Nitin Muralidharan, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, stressed the importance of maintaining strong domestic manufacturing capabilities across battery chemistries. Adityan Devia, ESS Sales & Business Development, IMEA, noted that advanced BESS solutions are becoming essential for grid flexibility, industrial optimisation and decarbonisation. With 200+ member companies, IESA continues to promote energy storage, e-mobility and green hydrogen, aiming to position India as a global hub for clean-energy R&D, manufacturing and innovation.