Global battery deployment surges as India expands storage capacity

Global battery deployment for electric vehicles and grid storage has seen massive growth, with over 1.5 terawatt-hours placed into service last year. This represents a tenfold increase compared to 2020. China remains the dominant force in this sector, leveraging economies of scale to drive lithium-ion battery prices down by 93% since 2010. While the United States and the European Union are implementing incentives to bolster domestic manufacturing and energy security, competing with China's established manufacturing capacity and low costs remains a significant challenge.

In India, battery energy storage capacity saw a dramatic surge in the first half of 2026, reaching 8.2 GWh. This is a nearly 84-fold increase compared to the 98.4 MWh installed during the same period the previous year. Several Indian entities are actively expanding infrastructure, including GAIL (India) and the Bihar State Power Generation Company, which are inviting bids for solar-integrated and standalone battery storage projects. Additionally, NTPC is exploring pilot programs for sodium-ion battery technology.