India's renewable energy targets surge with 888 GWh storage goal and 26 GW solar addition in H1 2026

India’s clean‑energy roadmap projects a dramatic increase in battery storage capacity, targeting 888 GWh of energy storage systems by fiscal 2035‑36, up from roughly 1 GWh today, according to the India BESS Market Review released at India Energy Storage Week 2026. The report notes an 11‑fold rise in installed BESS capacity to 8.7 GWh in the first half of 2026 and a pipeline of tenders totalling 260 GWh, with 18 projects already commissioned. Domestic manufacturing is set to expand, with current lithium‑ion cell capacity at about 2 GWh and plans to reach 110 GWh by 2030 and 180‑200 GWh of pack‑to‑container capacity.

In parallel, solar photovoltaic capacity crossed 162 GW by June 2026, driven by more than 26 GW of new installations in the first half of the year, including a record 5.1 GW added in June alone. Solar now accounts for over 68.5% of India’s renewable‑energy mix, which totals more than 236 GW, with ground‑mounted projects comprising about 121 GW and rooftop systems exceeding 30 GW. The sector’s momentum will be tested in the second half of the year as developers adapt to the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) policy, while external factors such as Middle‑East tensions, logistics constraints, rupee depreciation, and Chinese module oversupply could affect pricing and procurement.