India needs to focus on grid integration of clean energy capacity, say experts

New Delhi: India must now focus on integrating and adopting its rapidly expanding clean-energy capacity instead of merely adding generation, experts said on Wednesday.

Experts noted that while India has built a non-fossil-fuel power capacity of 283.46 GW, including 274.68 GW of renewable energy, the country now faces challenges in ensuring that the clean energy generated is efficiently transmitted, stored, procured and used across sectors.

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India is the world's third-largest in installed renewable-energy capacity, and added a record 55.29 GW of non-fossil capacity during FY2025-26, an official statement said.

The seminar, titled "New Energy: From Evaluation to Adoption", was organised by Think Change Forum in partnership with Delhi Research Implementation and Innovation (DRIIV), Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, as the knowledge partner.

Experts highlighted that transmission constraints, inadequate energy storage and uncertain procurement pathways were limiting the productive use of clean-energy capacity.

Around 8,133 GWh of solar electricity was curtailed during April-June 2026 because of transmission constraints and grid-security requirements. It added that India would require about 336 GWh of energy-storage capacity by 2029-30 and 411 GWh by 2031-32 to reliably integrate renewable power and maintain grid stability.

Former International Solar Alliance Director General Ajay Mathur said the country's focus should be on adopting clean-energy technologies at scale while improving energy efficiency, expanding electrification, supporting decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries and creating conditions for new technologies to be deployed.

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Former MNRE Secretary Upendra Tripathy said practical and commercially viable transition pathways were needed for legacy sectors, adding that implementation should now be the priority.

According to the statement, experts called for aligning policy, finance, technology and demand, building bankable adoption models, accelerating transmission and storage infrastructure, and strengthening domestic value chains to speed up India's clean-energy transition.

They concluded that the next phase should be defined by integration, adoption and productive utilisation of the country's existing clean-energy capacity.

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