Grid Innovation: The Next Frontier in India’s Energy Security
By investing in smart infrastructure, encouraging cross-sector collaboration, and scaling what works, India is showing how emerging economies can leapfrog to clean, intelligent energy systems.
September 10, 2025. By News Bureau
India has made great strides in increasing its energy capacity, nearly doubling it over the last decade. Now, the next step is to modernise the country’s aging grid infrastructure so it can efficiently deliver power for current and future generations. Recent developments reinforce the consensus that right now is India’s window of opportunity to pair renewable energy generation and modern, smart systems to make its grids greener, more responsive, and more resilient.
The Government of India has demonstrated decisive leadership in setting the direction for a clean energy future. That leadership is already being felt and seen by emerging economies around the world, where social and economic prosperity will rely on power as the prime driver of their ambitions.
As India works towards its target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, the road ahead demands a significant investment of INR 2,442 billion (€27 billion) in grid expansion alone.
Why Grid Innovation Matters
India’s national grid is the backbone of its social and economic development. But as renewable energy capacity expands and electricity demand surges, the grid faces mounting pressure not just to keep pace, but to integrate intermittent sources, manage peak loads, reduce transmission losses, and improve last-mile reliability.
While these complexities underscore the urgency for transformation, they also reveal an opportunity to build smarter, more resilient grids.
Technology and Policy: Enablers of a Modern Grid
Technological advancements are already reshaping what’s possible. Tools such as predictive AI, smart meters, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and grid visualisation are bridging critical infrastructure gaps through enhanced demand forecasting, load balancing, real-time monitoring, and grid flexibility. For the end user, this means reliable power supply that is economically efficient, even during peak demand.
At the same time, strategic government interventions such as the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Smart Grids Research Initiative (SGRI), and the Green Energy Corridors (GEC) are backing this transformation. RDSS, operational since 2021, is enhancing the operational and financial viability of power distribution companies through targeted support for smart metering, infrastructure upgrades, and capacity building. GEC is strengthening inter-state transmission infrastructure to improve energy security and efficiency, while SGRI is laying the research and innovation foundation for a grid wholly powered by renewable energy.
To accelerate momentum, it’s important that technology and policy move in tandem. Regulatory reforms, clear digital standards, and greater investments in modern grid infrastructure could play a key role. A supportive policy environment can encourage private capital and better align public investments with long-term sustainability goals.
Partnering for Scalable Impact
For achieving grid modernisation at speed and scale, India requires collaboration across the government, the private sector, and philanthropy. Multi-stakeholder and cross-sector collaborations are necessary to test, de-risk, and scale bold solutions, sustain economic well-being, and make communities more resilient to the impacts of a warming planet. It is with this vision to build long-term partnerships to augment and accelerate shared efforts that The Rockefeller Foundation and partners launched the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) in 2021.
Over these 3 years, GEAPP has helped in enhancing energy access for about 1.3 million people, mobilised over USD 1.07 billion in finance, and averted about 147 megatons of CO2 emissions. In India, the Alliance is scaling access to safe, reliable, and renewable energy by bridging key infrastructural, technological, and financial gaps through programs like the Digitalisation of Utilities for Energy Transition (DUET) initiative and Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE).
Conclusion: India’s Grid Transformation Can Lead the World
India’s energy journey offers a powerful model for other emerging economies, one that embraces bold innovation, local context, and inclusive growth. From community-based pilots to national-level reforms, the country is quietly but steadily rewriting the playbook for energy security in the 21st century. By investing in smart infrastructure, encouraging cross-sector collaboration, and scaling what works, India is showing how emerging economies can leapfrog to clean, intelligent energy systems.
India’s ambition of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 mirrors the global direction set at previous COPs pertaining to scaling renewable energy, improving efficiency, and expanding climate finance. Now, as we look forward to COP 30, we also need to strengthen our collective commitment, implementation, funding from public and private sources, and support from multilateral and international financial institutions to drive this vision forward. This is the window of opportunity to make grid innovation India’s next big driver of energy security and a model for the world.
- Deepali Khanna, Head of Asia, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Saurabh Kumar, Vice President- India, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)
please contact: contact@energetica-india.net.
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