Budget 2026: Can India fix renewable energy's storage and reliability gap?
India Today
Sustained support for storage, critical minerals and local manufacturing could help India build a self-reliant and competitive clean energy ecosystem, say experts.
As India pushes ahead with its clean energy ambitions, experts are calling on the government to shift attention from capacity addition alone to energy reliability, storage and supply-chain security in Union Budget 2026. They say the next phase of the energy transition will depend on stronger policy support for battery storage, diversified renewables and domestic manufacturing.
India has made rapid progress in adding renewable energy capacity, but experts warn that intermittent power remains a major challenge. Addressing this gap will require sustained focus on energy storage and a broader mix of renewable sources.
Anurag Choudhary, CMD and CEO, Himadri Speciality Chemical Limited, said energy security must now sit at the centre of policymaking.
“As India accelerates its renewable energy transition, energy reliability and security must move to the centre of the policy agenda,” he said. “Addressing the intermittency of renewable power will require a strong and sustained emphasis on Battery Energy Storage Systems, along with greater support for wind, tidal and other new-age renewable options.”
Alongside storage, access to critical minerals is becoming increasingly important. Rising geopolitical tensions and concentrated global supply chains have intensified competition for resources such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements.
“With China holding a large share of global processing and refining capacity, it is imperative for India to ensure a stable domestic supply and greater control over exploration, processing, refining and recycling,” Choudhary said. He added that focused policy support and targeted investments are needed to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply-chain resilience.
Sensex has declined over 6,000 points or roughly 7.5% in a little over two weeks as global tensions and rising oil prices triggered selling in equities.
Speaking in Parliament, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India has adequate fuel stocks, and there is no cause for concern over availability.
Industry sources told India Today TV that airline operators are now paying additional insurance charges for every aircraft flying into the Middle East, significantly increasing the cost of operations on these routes.
Under law, a domestic household is generally allowed to keep two LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg each at a time. This usually includes one cylinder connected for use and another spare cylinder kept as backup.
Early signals from GIFT Nifty suggest that the benchmark indices could open lower when trading begins. GIFT Nifty futures were trading at 23,784.50 at around 7:58 am. This indicates that the Nifty 50 may open below Wednesday's closing level of 23,866.85.
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The move comes as global energy markets remain on edge due to escalating tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, which has raised fears of disruptions to crude oil shipments from the Middle East.
India consumes roughly 5.3 to 5.5 million barrels of crude oil every day. However, domestic production is only about 0.6 million barrels per day. This means the country depends on imports for nearly 85% of its oil needs.
At around 10:47 am, the BSE Sensex was down 750.68 points or 0.96% at 77,455.30, while the Nifty 50 slipped 208.25 points or 0.86% to 24,053.35.
Air India said the fuel surcharge is due to the sharp rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices since early March 2026, triggered by supply disruptions in the Gulf region.
Rahul Bhatia expressed gratitude to employees who worked tirelessly to restore operations during that challenging period, praising their resilience and dedication.
The Iran-US conflict has disrupted shipping through a key global oil export route, pushing oil prices higher. As a result, airline tickets on some routes have become much more expensive, and there are growing concerns that travel demand could weaken if the situation continues.