India’s BESS Demand to Reach 236 GWh by FY32: Report

India’s battery energy storage system (BESS) requirement is projected to rise nearly seven-fold to 236.22 GWh by FY2031-32, requiring investment of up to INR 3.49 trillion, according to a report by Rubix Data Sciences.

BESS deployment in India accelerated sharply in 2026, with 8.2 GWh of capacity added between January and June, compared with less than 100 MWh during the corresponding period of 2025, the report said.

As of August 2026, 9.08 GWh of BESS capacity was operational, while 79.92 GWh was under construction. Another 24.13 GWh had been awarded and 63.53 GWh was under tendering, taking the total identified capacity across these stages to 176.66 GWh.

The current project pipeline identified by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is scheduled for commissioning through FY2029-30. The report said the identified capacity represents about 75 percent of the National Electricity Plan’s projected BESS requirement for FY2031-32, although projects are at different stages of development and are not yet fully operational.

The share of BESS in India’s overall energy storage requirement is expected to increase from about 42 percent in FY2026-27 to around 57 percent by FY2031-32, according to the report.

Rubix Data Sciences estimated that BESS alone could require around INR 3.49 trillion in investment by FY2031-32. The broader energy storage sector is expected to attract about INR 4.79 trillion in investments by 2032.

The report attributed the expected expansion of the BESS market to rising investment in domestic battery manufacturing, a growing project pipeline and government support measures.

Viability Gap Funding (VGF), the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage and waivers on interstate transmission system (ISTS) charges are among the measures expected to improve project economics and support greater private-sector participation.

The government has also increased support for energy storage through the PM-DHARA (PM-Developing Harmonized and Accelerated Renewable-energy Access) Scheme. The Union Cabinet-approved scheme includes INR 500 billion for deployment of 50 GWh of BESS capacity by FY2032-33, the report noted.

This version keeps the 236.22 GWh, INR 3.49 trillion, 176.66 GWh pipeline, 8.2 GWh 2026 additions and 50 GWh PM-DHARA target intact while presenting them in a cleaner news-reporting format.