India’s renewable energy industry urged the government on Thursday to expand its domestic manufacturing framework. Industry leaders want the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers to include battery storage systems. Santosh Kumar Sarangi said, "T need for thinking about manufacturing in those segments" to reduce import dependence.

India is exploring ways to boost local production of renewable energy components and reduce import dependence, following industry calls to extend its approved-manufacturer framework.

NEW DELHI: India's renewable energy industry has urged the government to extend its domestic manufacturing push beyond solar modules and wind turbines to include battery energy storage systems (BESS) and other critical components, seeking measures along the lines of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, secretary at the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), said on Thursday.

The demand comes as India looks to reduce its dependence on imports, particularly from China, for key components across the renewable energy supply chain. it also follows China's proposal to curb exports of equipment used to manufacture solar components such as cells and wafers.

Reducing dependence on specific geographies was a recurring theme at discussions with industry executives and investors at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit, Sarangi said.

"The lesson here (from Bharat Renewable Energy Summit 2026) is to continue our path of progress in renewable energy and some of the things which are discussed in the CEO roundtable, obviously referred to reducing the critical dependence on particular geographies. So, if we are beholden to particular geographies for certain items, then there is a need for thinking about manufacturing in those segments," he said.

A wider ALMM ambit

The ministry held a roundtable with chief execuitves (CEOs) from the renewable energy industry and investors on Wednesday. Sarangi said industry executives had called for extending the ALMM framework, currently applicable to solar modules and wind turbines, to other components, including battery storage systems.

"So, a lot of CEOs have actually appreciated the ALMM framework which MNRE has implemented for module and wind turbine and requested that similar things should be tried out for components, battery storage systems etc. So this was a recurring demand from the CEOs and on this MNRE has remained engaged with the industry. And whatever needs to be done to promote domestic manufacturing that we will definitely work."

The ALMM framework requires government-backed projects to source specified equipment from approved domestic manufacturers. ALMM-I and ALMM-II cover locally manufactured solar modules and cells, respectively, while the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers for Wind covers quality-certified turbines permitted for use in utility-scale projects.

While the frameworks for modules and wind turbines are operational, the requirement for solar cells has been deferred until 31 December 2026 amid concerns over supply constraints.

These measures, which also act as non-tariff barriers to imports, coupled with government incentives, have helped India significantly expand its domestic solar manufacturing capacity. The country currently has more than 200 GW of module manufacturing capacity and 50 GW of cell manufacturing capacity. The ministry has also announced plans to bring wafers and ingots under the framework from June 2028.

Storage capacity in focus

Reducing import dependence is also emerging as a priority for the battery supply chain, where India relies heavily on imports, primarily from China. The government is looking to develop a domestic ecosystem for battery storage to strengthen energy independence and security.

In a step towards that objective, the Union cabinet on Wednesday approved a viability gap funding (VGF) scheme for grid-scale energy storage systems, committing ₹14,500 crore in financial support between FY27 and FY31.

The scheme aims to support the development of 92 GWh of additional grid-scale energy storage capacity across the country. The new capacity would be equivalent to 170% of India's existing grid-scale storage capacity and help meet the country's requirement of 411 GWh by FY32.

Battery energy storage systems are critical to integrating renewable power into the grid. Solar and wind generation are variable and unpredictable, making it necessary to store electricity when generation is available and deploy it when needed, including during non-solar hours. Storage systems also help stabilize the power grid and strengthen the transmission network.