Energetica India Magazine

with global exposure are moving faster because of customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Even for them, ac - cess to firm renewable power, policy stability, and confidence that commercial frameworks will remain predictable are es- sential before committing to long-term renewable procure- ment. For many small and medium enterprises, the challenge is different. While interest in renewable energy is growing, pro- curement options, contractual structures, and regulatory pro- cesses often appear complex. Adoption will accelerate when renewable solutions become simpler, commercially attractive, and easier to integrate into existing operations. Decarbonising electricity consumption is comparatively straightforward through open access, captive models, hybrid projects and RTC solutions. Hard-to-abate industrial process - es, process heat and conventional fuels present a much greater challenge and will require electrification, cleaner fuels and, in select applications, green hydrogen. The industry’s intent is clear; the transition must now become easier to adopt, reliable to operate, and stable over the long term. Q As renewable energy capacity increases, grid integration is becoming more challenging. What steps are needed to strengthen the grid and support higher renewable energy adop- tion? Deepak Thakur: As renewable penetration increases, grid in- tegration becomes significantly more complex. Intermittency, forecasting, scheduling, balancing, and system reliability all become real-time operational priorities, while transmission availability continues to constrain project execution in sev- eral regions. The first priority is transmission infrastructure. Transmis - sion planning must stay ahead of generation development so that renewable-rich regions remain effectively connected to demand centres. Equally important, generation planning, transmission planning, and storage planning can no longer happen inde- pendently. They must evolve as one integrated system capable of delivering reliable clean power. Grid operators also require greater real-time visibility of both generation and demand. Better forecasting, feeder-level data, wider smart-meter deployment and digital technologies will strengthen system operations, improve DSM performance and enable faster operational decisions. Ultimately, renewable energy should become an integral part of normal grid operations rather than being treated as a sepa- rate resource requiring special management. Grid modernisa- tion is therefore the bridge between renewable capacity addi- tion and reliable power delivery. Q Investment is key to accelerating clean energy deploy- ment. How do you assess the current financing environ - ment for renewable energy projects, and what can help attract more investments into the sector? Deepak Thakur: India’s renewable energy financing envi - ronment remains fundamentally strong. Investors recognise these as long-life infrastructure assets capable of generating stable cash flows once operational. However, capital has become more discerning. Investors in - creasingly evaluate developers’ execution capabilities, off-tak - er credit quality, payment discipline, governance standards, and policy stability because each of these directly influences long-term project performance. The emergence of RTC and storage introduces new consid- erations. BESS has a limited long-term operational history at scale, leading lenders to assess technology performance and lifecycle assumptions carefully. Pumped storage projects, meanwhile, require substantial upfront investment and lon- ger development timelines, increasing execution risk. Public financing can play an important catalytic role in sup - porting early deployment of these technologies. As opera- tional confidence grows, private capital is likely to participate more aggressively. Policy consistency, faster approvals, improved transmission visibility, timely land availability, and stronger domestic sup- ply chains will further strengthen investor confidence. The next phase of investment will increasingly favour developers that combine disciplined execution with the ability to consis- tently deliver reliable clean energy over the full life of their assets. 32 energetica INDIA- Jul-Aug_2026 INTERVIEW