Energetica India Magazine

as one of the most important enablers of the next phase of renewable energy growth. India has achieved impressive re- newable capacity additions, but the next challenge is ensuring grid stability and round-the-clock power availability. KP Group has already begun integrating storage consider- ations into its long-term project planning. Our future devel- opments are increasingly being designed around the concept of integrated energy infrastructure, where solar, wind, stor- age, and green hydrogen complement each other. The entry is anchored by Sun Drops Energia, our group company, and the group is also pursuing domestic BESS manufacturing, having placed development-and-manufacturing proposals before the Gujarat government to localise the value chain. Given our large renewable energy portfolio and project pipe- line, storage presents a natural extension of our business. As battery costs continue to decline and policy frameworks ma- ture, we expect BESS to become a standard component of utility-scale and industrial renewable energy projects. We believe storage will transform renewable energy from an intermittent source into a dependable and dispatchable power solution, opening new opportunities for both developers and consumers. Q What regulatory challenges continue to affect renewable energy developers, and how can they be addressed? Dr. Faruk G. Patel: India’s renewable energy sector has bene- fited from strong policy support, but challenges remain. Land acquisition, transmission connectivity, approval timelines, and varying state-level regulations continue to impact proj- ect execution. For developers managing large-scale portfolios such as KP Group’s, the timely availability of transmission infrastruc- ture is becoming increasingly critical. Renewable energy ca- pacity is growing rapidly, and grid infrastructure must ex- pand at a similar pace to avoid bottlenecks. Another area that requires attention is policy predictability. Renewable energy projects involve long investment cycles, and investors seek certainty regarding regulations, open-ac- cess policies, and power evacuation frameworks. A coordinated approach involving central and state govern- ments, digitalised approval processes, and accelerated trans- mission development can significantly improve the pace of renewable energy deployment across the country. Q How can India reduce dependence on imported equipment while maintaining competitiveness? Dr. Faruk G. Patel: India has made remarkable progress in strengthening domestic manufacturing, but significant op - portunities still exist across the renewable energy value chain. At KP Group, we strongly support the development of indig- enous manufacturing capabilities because long-term energy security and supply-chain resilience depend on it. However, competitiveness must remain at the center of this effort. The objective should not simply be import substitution. The goal should be to create globally competitive manufacturing ecosystems capable of serving both domestic and internation- al markets. This requires investment in technology, research and development, scale, and skilled talent. India’s renewable energy ambitions are among the largest in the world. This creates a unique opportunity to build manu - facturing leadership in modules, structures, storage technolo- gies, power electronics, and green hydrogen equipment. With the right policy support, India can emerge as a global clean energy manufacturing hub over the coming decade. Q Looking toward 2030, what do you believe will be the de - fining trends shaping India’s renewable energy landscape? Dr. Faruk G. Patel: By 2030, India’s renewable energy sector will look fundamentally different from where it is today. The first major trend will be the rise of integrated energy ecosys - tems combining solar, wind, storage, and green hydrogen. The second trend will be the rapid growth of industrial de- carbonisation. Increasingly, businesses are not adopting re- newable energy merely for cost savings but as part of their broader sustainability commitments. This shift is already visible in the strong demand we are witnessing for CPP and hybrid projects. Third, energy storage will become mainstream. As renewable penetration increases, storage will play a critical role in ensur- ing reliability and grid stability. Finally, green hydrogen will emerge as a transformational op- portunity. KP Group has already announced significant in - vestments in the green hydrogen and green ammonia space because we believe these technologies will become key pillars of India’s energy transition. India is already the world’s third-largest renewable energy market by installed capacity. Over the next decade, the coun- try has the potential not only to lead in deployment but also to become a global centre for clean energy innovation, man- ufacturing, and exports. KP Group intends to play a mean- ingful role in that journey through continued investments, technological innovation, and execution excellence. energetica INDIA- Jul-Aug_2026 21 INTERVIEW