India Advances Battery Manufacturing With 10 GWh ACC Tender

The initiative is expected to strengthen the country's clean energy ambitions by supporting large-scale renewable energy integration while reducing dependence on imported battery technologies.

India has taken another step towards building a stronger domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem with the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) holding a pre-bid conference for its global tender to establish 10 GWh of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing capacity for grid-scale stationary energy storage. The initiative is expected to strengthen the country's clean energy ambitions by supporting large-scale renewable energy integration while reducing dependence on imported battery technologies.

The conference, held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on July 29, brought together 29 prospective bidders, representatives from industry, government ministries and industry associations. Officials from NITI Aayog, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Ministry of Power also participated in the discussions.

Supporting domestic battery manufacturing

The pre-bid meeting followed the release of the global tender documents on July 15, 2026 through the Central Public Procurement (CPP) Portal. The tender forms part of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, which seeks to encourage local manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cells used in large-scale stationary energy storage systems.

These battery systems play a critical role in storing electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind, helping ensure a stable power supply even when renewable energy generation fluctuates. Expanding domestic manufacturing capacity is expected to improve energy security while supporting India's transition towards cleaner sources of electricity.

Industry receives clarification on bidding process

During the conference, Ministry officials presented the objectives and scope of the tender before responding to questions raised by prospective bidders. Participants were informed that any additional queries could be submitted by email until August 20, 2026, following the procedure outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

The interaction provided companies with greater clarity on the bidding requirements and the overall framework of the programme before the submission deadline.

Transparent two-stage selection process

The Ministry said bids will be accepted until October 13, 2026, with bid opening scheduled for October 14, 2026. The selection process will follow a transparent two-stage online mechanism under the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) framework through the CPP Portal.

The Government expects the initiative to encourage competitive participation from manufacturers while ensuring that selected projects meet both technical and commercial standards.

Boosting India's clean energy future

The ACC manufacturing programme forms part of India's broader strategy to expand domestic clean energy infrastructure and build resilient supply chains for next-generation battery technologies. By supporting local manufacturing, the initiative is expected to create new industrial opportunities while strengthening the country's ability to deploy large-scale energy storage systems needed for a renewable-powered electricity grid.

The Ministry has encouraged interested companies to regularly monitor its official website and the CPP Portal for updates related to the tender process and the PLI ACC Scheme.