New Delhi, March 25 The India Energy Storage Alliance and industry experts have called for a unified framework to close the 60 GWh supply gap in domestic cell manufacturing, with the aim of boosting energy storage capacity addition in the country.
A unified framework is seen as crucial to unlock large-scale investments and accelerate domestic innovation, according to an IESA statement.
This view emerged at the recently concluded Stationary Energy Storage India (SESI) 2026 conference, where industry leaders made a unified call for swift government action to close India's energy storage supply gap.
The sector's future now depends on bold policy moves to boost domestic manufacturing, secure critical materials, and position India as a global leader in clean energy, it stated.
According to the statement, the SESI 2026, organized by IESA and Customized Energy Solutions (CES), saw the participation of over 450 industry leaders from more than 10 countries.
Debmalya Sen, President of IESA, suggested that India's advanced chemistry cell (ACC) ecosystem is at a critical growth stage, with demand for advanced chemistry cells projected at 220–260 GWh by 2030 and 800–900 GWh by 2035, mainly driven by electric mobility (60–70%) and stationary storage (30–40%).
Sen stated that domestic manufacturing capacity stands at 150–180 GWh, with only ~40–50 GWh expected to be operational soon, resulting in a 60–80 GWh supply gap and continued reliance on imports for cells and key materials like cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes.
He noted that over 80 per cent of cell components are still imported.
"To address this, we need targeted support for component manufacturing, faster approvals, robust recycling, and stronger local supply chains, especially as over 30% of battery costs come from materials such as graphite and lithium. Timely execution and improved circularity are essential for long-term competitiveness," Sen suggested.
Kumar M, Founder, Smart Grid Analytics, highlighted that by fostering policies that nurture innovation, quality, and talent development, the government can ensure India's energy storage sector sets new global standards for reliability and performance.
Samir Patel, Chief, Technology and Operations, BESS Energy Division, SPML, emphasised that policy must also address raw material pricing, especially lithium carbonate indexing; relying on China’s SMM index leaves the sector vulnerable.
The policy foundation is strong, but now India needs a unified national framework, one that enables seamless, large-scale BESS industrialisation, avoids fragmented state policies, and brings together minerals, testing, skills, and offtake under a single, sustained strategy, he added.
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