Q/ There are solar-energy challenges such as storage and transmission. How are governments across the world, including India's, tackling it?
Solar is variable and concentrated during daylight hours, while demand often peaks in the evening. Its integration therefore requires storage, flexible generation, improved forecasting and demand response. India currently has around 2.93GW or 8.66GWh of grid-scale battery storage, against a projected requirement of 47.24GW or 236GWh of battery storage, and 26.69GW or 175GWh of pumped storage by 2031.
Transmission is equally important because renewable resources are often located far from demand centres. Delays in associated transmission infrastructure have resulted in instances of restricted dispatch and curtailment. India plans to expand its transmission network from 5.09 lakh circuit kilometres in June 2026 to 6.48 lakh circuit kilometres by 2032, and interregional capacity from 120GW to 168GW.
India is responding through green energy corridors, storage incentives, pumped-storage development and renewable-plus-storage tenders. Globally, governments are similarly promoting storage, flexible electricity markets and faster transmission development.
Q/ What are the potentials beyond solar in renewable energy for India, including wind, tidal and hydro? Any new areas being explored?
India’s renewable-energy transition should be diversified. As of August 2026, India had approximately 58.5GW of wind capacity, 52.1GW of large hydro, 5.2GW of small hydro and around 11GW of biomass-based capacity. Hydropower and pumped storage are particularly important for balancing variable solar and wind generation, while biomass and waste-to-energy can provide relatively firm power and support rural value chains.
The largest near-term opportunity beyond solar is onshore wind, including re-powering older sites and developing wind-solar hybrid projects. Offshore wind, particularly along the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts, is an emerging opportunity, although costs, port infrastructure, transmission and project bankability need to improve.
Other emerging areas include green hydrogen, bioenergy, compressed biogas and integrated projects combining wind, solar, batteries and pumped storage to provide round-the-clock renewable power.
Q/ For India to move to the next stage in sustainability, what steps need to be taken?
India’s next phase must move beyond adding renewable capacity towards building a reliable, flexible and financially sustainable clean-energy system. This requires coordinated planning of generation, transmission, storage and demand, supported by stronger power markets and faster approvals.
The immediate priorities are to strengthen finances of distribution companies, create markets that appropriately value storage and demand flexibility, accelerate rooftop and agricultural solar, and mobilise lower-cost capital through green bonds, blended finance, credit guarantees and multilateral risk-mitigation instruments. Policy stability and enforceable contracts will be essential to attract sustained private investment and foreign capital.
India must also deepen domestic manufacturing across solar cells, wafers, batteries, power electronics and recycling, while maintaining access to competitive global technology. Clear safeguards for land, water, biodiversity, recycling and community benefit-sharing will ensure that renewable expansion is environmentally and socially sustainable.
