Energetica India Magazine March - April 2026

FEATURE STORY energetica INDIA- Mar-Apr_2026 40 er, even small deviations by one user could trigger penalties for the entire group, creating uncertainty. Now, flexibility at a group level reduces this risk, improves project bankability, and makes participation easier.” In real life, individual consumption fluctuates due to plant shutdowns, production cycles, maintenance, seasonal de- mand, and business changes. “A rigid proportionality test could create the risk that one member’s variation jeopardised captive qualification for the structure. By moving toward collective consumption recognition, the framework becomes more aligned with actual industrial operations,” explains Be- hera. Hiranandani adds, “Open access adoption in India has been constrained less by demand and more by structural inflexibil - ities misaligned with actual industrial consumption patterns. The earlier requirement of individual proportionality often created compliance risks in dynamic operating environments where consumption is rarely static. By allowing the 51 percent consumption threshold to be met collectively, the policy rec- ognises the variable and interconnected nature of industrial demand. This reduces the risk of disqualification due to minor deviations and improves confidence among C&I consumers.” What this does, practically, is make group captive viable for industrial clusters, SEZs, and mid-sized consumers who couldn’t anchor a project alone. “They can now aggregate demand flexibly without being held hostage to consumption matching. We will see more group captive structures close in the next 12 to 18 months as a direct result. The government seems to understand the distinction between policy intent and operational reality here, which is encouraging,” com- ments Bhat. The Rise of Energy Storage As industries strive for a reliable and cost-effective power sup- ply, integrating BESS is becoming lucrative. One of the most notable trends is the increasing focus on hybrid and round- the-clock (RTC) renewable energy solutions. Rahul Mishra, President - C&I Business, BluPine Energy, ob- serves, “Developers are actively combining solar and wind capaci- ties, and increasingly integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS), to deliver firm and dis - patchable power. This shift reflects a broader market transition. C&I consumers are no longer looking at renewable energy purely as a cost-saving mecha- nism, but as a dependable power source capable of supporting continuous industrial operations. As a result, project design and procurement structures are evolving to align with these requirements.” He further adds that the market is witnessing a rise in stor- age-linked tenders and projects, indicating that BESS is be - coming an integral part of future renewable energy systems. “Storage enables better management of intermittency, sup- ports grid stability, and enhances the ability of renewable en- ergy projects to deliver power in line with demand patterns. As developers scale up such integrated solutions, storage is expected to play a critical role in enabling higher renewable penetration for C&I consumers,” shares Mishra. Highlighting the use cases for BESS in the C&I sector, Nirmal Shaju, Manager – GOTF, GEAPP, remarks, “For C&I consumers, BESS makes the strongest economic sense in three scenarios: managing peak demand charges, leveraging time- of-use tariff arbitrage, and maximising returns from rooftop solar by storing surplus generation instead of exporting it at lower feed-in rates as states adopt net billing from traditional net- and gross-metering arrangements.” He further adds that as banking norms tighten, BESS can help C&Is to manage the excess generation from grid-scale RE capacities, till waiver on transmission charges prevail, with optimal sizing and location identification. “Together, these can significantly reduce electricity costs for load-heavy industries like manufacturing, cold chains and data centres. As India’s grid and electricity markets evolve, early moving C&I adopters will also be positioned to monetise their storage assets through demand response and ancillary service pro- grammes, turning a cost-saving tool into a revenue opportu- nity.” BESS integration is now a policy-level requirement in two of India’s most popular states for Open Access and Rooftop Solar – Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Sharma highlights the benefits of BESS integration for both developers and C&I consumers: