The electric vehicle (EV) industry is bracing for a short-term price surge, as the Ministry of Heavy Industries has mandated a 100% domestic content requirement for 18 EV components, including the traction battery pack, battery management system, and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

The Central Electricity Authority clarified that the mandate requiring renewable energy implementing agencies and state utilities to incorporate a minimum two-hour co-located energy storage system (ESS), equivalent to 10% of the installed solar capacity, will apply only to future solar tenders and will not impact past projects.

The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission issued an order addressing the true-up of the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) or the financial year (FY) 2024 and approved the revised ARR forecast and tariff determination for FY 2026 for the Punjab State Transmission Corporation.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction of 4.55 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects at multiple educational institutions across Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Assam, and Manipur. The scope of work entails the design, engineering, supply, storage, civil work, erection, testing, and commissioning of the solar projects. It also involves providing operation and maintenance services for 25 years.

The Northern Power Distribution Company of Telangana issued two tenders for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a cumulative 5.4 MW of ground-mounted solar projects at various locations on a build, operate, maintain, and transfer basis. The scope of work entails the design, installation, testing, and commissioning of the solar projects. It also involves providing operations and maintenance services for five years.

Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam floated 13 tenders for 1,200.7 MW grid-connected solar projects at various 33/11 kV sub-stations under Component A of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program. The scope of work entails the design, survey, installation, testing, and commissioning of the projects. It also involves providing operation and maintenance services for 25 years.

Swaraj Tractors, a part of the Mahindra Group’s farm equipment division, announced it will source renewable energy from Mahindra Susten’s 26 MW group captive solar project in Punjab. Mahindra Susten will set up the solar project in the Bathinda district. The project will supply clean energy to four Swaraj Tractors’ manufacturing facilities in Mohali and Dera Bassi.

In 2024, India witnessed the second-highest growth in energy demand after China in absolute terms – more than the increase in all advanced economies combined, according to the Global Energy Review 2025 by the International Energy Agency. The global energy demand and consumption also increased in 2024, driven primarily by increased air conditioning usage due to extreme temperatures, a growing industrial segment, expanding data centers, and rising transport sector electrification.