India bets big on grid with 135 GW renewables and 50 GWh storage

The Union Cabinet gave its green light to the Green Energy Corridor Phase-III, a Rs 1.86 lakh crore plan designed to evacuate up to 135 GW of renewable power across states and UTs, while installing 50 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems to address intermittency and grid congestion so renewables can reach demand centers. The move, announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to strengthen intra-state transmission networks and ensure reliable delivery of electricity from solar and wind sources by reducing losses and bottlenecks that can keep clean power from reaching end users.

The package is split into roughly Rs 1,36,378 crore for intra-state transmission systems and Rs 50,000 crore for BESS, with central financial support of Rs 54,082 crore to offset transmission charges. Greenfield projects will use Tariff Based Competitive Bidding, while brownfield upgrades will follow a Cost Plus Basis, and State Transmission Utilities will implement with Transmission Service Providers under a BOOM model.

The cabinet says the scheme aligns with India’s goal of expanding non-fossil capacity to 900 GW by 2035 and boosting energy security, while creating employment in power, manufacturing, and construction. The policy is framed to precede renewable capacity additions, reduce curtailment, and ensure grid flexibility, particularly for solar and wind, by strengthening cross‑state links and accelerating project execution so new capacity can be integrated smoothly.

This is part of a broader push to modernize the grid as renewable capacity grows, with the government highlighting the plan’s potential to lower costs for consumers and strengthen long-term energy resilience. The plan is targeted for completion by FY 2032-33 and will be rolled out across states and UTs with central support and a clear implementation framework that lays out milestones, responsibilities, and governance to guide execution.