India’s energy storage system industry is expected to move from tendering to execution in 2026, according to a new report from the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA).
as of Dec. 31, 2025, a total of 224 GWh of energy storage capacity had been tendered, comprising 92 GWh of battery energy storage systems and 132 GWh of pumped hydro storage.
of that total, 95 GWh is in various stages of execution, 80 GWh remains under tender, and 47 GWh of tenders have been canceled.
the report notes that 2025 marked an unprecedented year for tendering activity, with 69 tenders totaling 102 GWh issued during the year.
that volume was nearly equal to the combined total of tenders issued between 2018 and 2024. Projects awarded since mid-2023 are expected to begin commissioning in 2026, in line with standard project development timelines of 18 to 24 months. ‘All eyes will remain on whether the performance of these projects is in line with what was committed,’ said Debmalya Sen, president of IESA. ‘2026 will be the year when a number of projects enter the operational phase.
the next challenge is ?nancing these projects, especially those with low tariffs.’