India Faces Decade-Long Gap in Battery Storage Self-Sufficiency

India is pursuing an aggressive expansion of its energy storage capacity, with the Central Electricity Authority estimating the country will reach 411 GWh of storage by 2031-32. To support this, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, the Renewable Energy Secretary, announced that sodium-ion battery technology has reached Technology Readiness Level 7, potentially moving from pilot projects to commercial production within two to three years. Additionally, IndianOil NTPC Green Energy Private Limited has ordered 100 megawatts of vanadium flow batteries to scale domestic supply.

Despite these technological strides, a report from Wood Mackenzie indicates that India is 10 to 15 years away from achieving full self-sufficiency in battery storage. As of 2026, commissioned cell manufacturing capacity stands at only 2 GWh, which is less than 1 percent of the 260 GWh demand pipeline. While the government has announced 226 GWh of capacity for construction through 2035, the industry struggles with execution delays and a heavy reliance on Chinese and Korean technology.

To mitigate these gaps and enhance energy security, the government is developing a new scheme to add at least 30 GW of polysilicon manufacturing capacity by 2030. Wood Mackenzie suggests that India will likely prioritize the localization of downstream components, such as battery packs and containers, over the next few years before establishing full refining capabilities.