India commits $1.5bn to energy storage push through 2031

India's government has announced a $1.5 billion energy storage plan spanning 2026-27 to 2030-31, signalling a major push to overcome intermittency challenges in its growing renewable energy sector. The comprehensive scheme targets deployment of 60 gigawatt-hours of pumped hydro storage capacity, the backbone of large-scale energy storage infrastructure in the country. An additional 30 gigawatt-hours of battery storage systems will be supported under the initiative, addressing India's need for medium-duration storage solutions as solar and wind generation expand. The programme also allocates resources for 2 gigawatt-hours of emerging storage technologies, positioning India to trial and integrate next-generation systems such as compressed air storage and thermal storage. Energy storage remains critical to India's renewable energy transition, as the country seeks to balance variable power generation from increasingly large solar and wind installations with grid demand. The initiative underscores New Delhi's commitment to modernising its electricity infrastructure while reducing dependence on fossil fuels to meet its climate targets.