Vikram Solar Subsidiary Plans 7.5 GWh BESS Assembly Plant in Tamil Nadu

VSL PowerHive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vikram Solar, has announced plans to establish a 7.5 GWh per annum Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) assembly plant at Oragadam, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The facility is designed to scale up to 15 GWh in later phases and will anchor PowerHive's broader roadmap to build 30 GWh of total battery manufacturing capacity by 2030. Spread across approximately 1.65 lakh sq. ft., the facility is slated for inauguration in January 2027, with commercial operations expected to begin in April 2027.

The development comes at a time when energy storage has moved to the centre of India's clean energy agenda. As solar and wind capacity grows, storage has become critical to keeping the grid stable, shifting renewable power to evening peaks and enabling round-the-clock clean energy. The Central Electricity Authority projects that India will need about 47 GW /236 GWh of energy storage by 2031-32. Meeting this need at scale will require a strong domestic manufacturing base and reduced reliance on imported systems.

Complementing that, PowerHive's ambitions extend well beyond assembly. The company will move into cell manufacturing with a 7.5 GWh programme from 2028, a key step towards building a fully integrated battery manufacturing ecosystem in India, from cell to system. Backing this roadmap, PowerHive is developing indigenous battery technologies and has already initiated multiple patent filings to strengthen its technology ownership and reduce reliance on imported know-how.

Once operational, the plant will assemble Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)-based energy storage systems for utility-scale and Commercial and Industrial (C&I) applications. The portfolio will include 5.016 MWh and 6.25 MWh liquid-cooled BESS containers, PowerHive's P261 battery cabinets, utility-scale energy storage systems and renewable energy-integrated storage solutions, all to be manufactured in India under the Make in India initiative.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, Chairman and Managing Director, Vikram Solar, said, "Storage is the bridge between India's renewable ambition and round-the-clock clean power. As the country scales up solar and wind, the ability to store that energy reliably will define the next phase of the transition and that capability must be built in India. The new plant is a decisive step in that direction and extends Vikram Solar's role in the clean energy value chain from generating power to storing it."

Arun Mittal, CEO, VSL PowerHive, said, "Energy storage is what makes renewable power dependable, and demand for it in India is rising faster than ever. With this development, we are setting out to build world-class battery manufacturing capability in the country, starting with 7.5 GWh of assembly and progressing to cells and an integrated ecosystem. Our aim is to give utilities, developers and industries a future-ready, domestically built storage partner for the decades ahead."

Through the upcoming facility, PowerHive plans to create skilled jobs, develop local talent in advanced storage solutions and strengthen the local industrial ecosystem, supporting Tamil Nadu in building a thriving clean-tech industry.