Energetica India Magazine

capital investment and enabling the rapid development of a domestic supply chain.” Kundalia adds, “A manufacturing facility is only as strong as the ecosystem supporting it. Developing reliable local ven- dors improves engineering collaboration, reduces lead times, strengthens quality control and makes the entire supply chain more resilient. At Advait, localisation is therefore not limit- ed to manufacturing products. It also includes strengthening the domestic supplier ecosystem that will support long-term growth.” Kaushal emphasises that the challenges extend beyond man- ufacturing. “Raw materials, domestic supply chains, financ - ing, technology development and skilled talent will all shape India’s BESS ecosystem and require close collaboration be- tween industry and government.” Balancing Manufacturing with Deployment India faces the challenge of balancing rapid storage deploy- ment with domestic manufacturing ambitions. While imports can bridge supply gaps to support renewable energy targets, incentives for local manufacturing are needed to reduce long- term dependence on imported batteries and mitigate geopo- litical and supply-chain risks. Misra, however, believes that India does not need to choose be- tween rapid deployment and domestic manufacturing. “Both objectives can progress together through a phased localisation strategy. While global supply chains may continue to support immediate project execution, domestic capabilities in soft- ware, power electronics, system integration, digital valida- tion, and advanced manufacturing should steadily expand.” Kundalia agrees, “Deployment and manufacturing should progress together because one strengthens the other. Rap- id deployment creates demand, but demand alone does not create manufacturing capability. Manufacturers need time to qualify suppliers, stabilise production processes, validate products and build engineering expertise. These capabilities cannot be accelerated simply by increasing production vol- umes. The objective should therefore be to use India’s grow- ing domestic market as an opportunity to build globally com- petitive manufacturing.” The Path Forward India’s BESS market is entering a critical growth phase, with strong demand and supportive policies driving deployment. The key challenge is scaling domestic manufacturing through phased localisation, supply-chain development and poli- cy support while ensuring affordable storage and long-term self-reliance. “By 2030, India has the potential to emerge as both a BESS manufacturing and global system integration hub, leveraging its strengths in battery packs, system integration, software, engineering and turnkey energy storage solutions,” states Kamdar. Srivastava adds, “Lithium carbonate, a critical component in cathode material, plays a vital role in cell manufactur- ing, which means we will continue to depend on a handful of countries, led by China, for the foreseeable future. In the near term, I believe India is more likely to become a major hub for lithium battery pack assembly and the integration of BESS containers, commonly known as DC blocks.” Misra opines that India’s opportunity is not just to manufac- ture batteries, but to build intelligent energy storage systems that can compete globally on reliability, safety, and perfor- mance. “India has the potential to emerge as both a global BESS manufacturing and system integration hub. However, local- isation must be supported by robust quality systems, prod- uct certification, lifecycle service capabilities and digital asset management to ensure the long-term reliability, safety and performance of utility-scale BESS deployments,” asserts Nag. India’s opportunity is not simply to become the world’s low- est-cost battery manufacturer, but to become a global leader in intelligent energy storage systems. “As renewable penetra- tion increases, advanced power conversion, grid-forming tech- nologies and digital energy management will become increas- ingly important. By building leadership in these areas, India can establish itself as both a manufacturing base for high-val- ue system components and a globally competitive system in- tegration hub,” asserts Selvaraj. “By 2030, India should aim to manufacture complete, global- ly competitive BESS solutions –not necessarily every individ- ual component, but integrated systems that combine storage with renewable energy, EV charging, microgrids and smart grids for both domestic and international markets. That is the real opportunity – not simply manufacturing products but building integrated energy solutions that solve Indian chal- lenges and create value worldwide,” remarks Kaushal. With demand firmly established, India’s next challenge is translating policy support, phased localisation and industrial investment into a globally competitive BESS manufacturing ecosystem. FEATURE STORY energetica INDIA- Jul-Aug_2026 51