Sarala Project Works, Oriana Power, and Pace Digitek won Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation’s auction to set up 500 MW/1,000 MWh grid-connected standalone battery energy storage systems to manage peak power demand. Sarala won 50 MW at a tariff of ₹249,500 (2,913.02)/MW/month. Oriana quoted a tariff of ₹254,490 (2,971.28)/MW/month to win 50 MW. Pace won 250 MW, also at a tariff of ₹254,490 (2,971.28)/MW/month.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy mandated that only solar cells manufactured using undiffused wafers will qualify under the Domestic Content Requirement policy, effectively prohibiting the use of “blue” or diffused wafers. This is to ensure that the most critical stages of solar cell manufacturing—such as diffusion, printing, and metallization—are carried out entirely in India to strengthen the domestic solar industry.

India installed 6.9 GW of solar open access capacity in the calendar year 2024, 77% more than the 3.9 GW installed in 2023, a record for annual capacity additions, according to Mercom’s Q4 & Annual 2024 India Solar Open Access Market Report. While capacity additions in 2024 were driven by the availability of low-cost Chinese modules imported before the reimposition of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, state policies and consumer demand have added to the rise in open access solar transactions.

The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission issued a new retail electricity tariff order for the financial year (FY) 2026, leading to an increase in power charges across all consumer categories. The determined tariffs will take effect seven days after publication in prominent statewide newspapers and remain in effect until further amendment by the Commission.

The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission announced the tariff for the retail sale of electricity for the FY 2026. According to the new order, the tariffs for commercial, industrial, and domestic consumers in Andhra Pradesh remained unchanged from the previous year. Low tension consumers will have a fixed charge of ₹75 ($0.8777)/kW. Energy charges vary based on monthly consumption.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) approved Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam’s (JVVNL) petition to approve tariff for 12.02 MW solar projects under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program. The approved tariff ranges between ₹3.172/kWh (~$0.037) and ₹3.310 (~$0.039). JVVNL issued a request for selection for the solar projects in December 2023. It filed a combined petition before RERC for the approval of the purchase of power from 58 bidders.

The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission approved a tariff of ₹3.50 (~$0.0409)/kWh for procuring 310 MW of solar power under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Component C. The decision follows a petition filed by the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company, seeking approval of the bidding documents and adoption of the tariff for power to be purchased from renewable generators.

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission issued the procedure for data collection, scrutiny and verification of the captive status of power projects and their users in the state. The status of captive power projects and captive users will be verified annually. Applications for verification must be submitted to the power distribution company before May 31, following the financial year for which captive status is claimed.

The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission approved a levelized tariff of ₹3.45 (~$0.04)/kWh for solar projects up to 1 MW and ₹3.38 (~$0.039)/kWh for projects between 1 MW and 3 MW for FY 2026. The levelized tariff for projects between 3 MW and 5 MW is set at ₹3.32 (~$0.39)/kWh if located in areas other than urban and industrial zones. In urban and industrial zones, the tariffs are set at ₹3.50 (~$0.041)/kWh, ₹3.4 (~$0.04)/kWh, and ₹3.38 (~$ 0.04)/kWh for the three categories, respectively.

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 (PM-KUSUM) program. The projects to be set up will have individual capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW. 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.

The Assam government proposed adding 11,700 MW of renewable energy capacity by the end of FY 2030. In its Assam Integrated Clean Energy (ICE) Policy 2025, which will be applicable for the next five years, the state has said clean energy projects and renewable energy manufacturing plants commissioned during the policy period will be eligible for incentives. Projects approved under previous policies will be allowed to migrate to the ICE policy.

Gurgaon-based ACME Solar Holdings secured a ₹24.91 billion (~$298.92 million) long-term refinancing facility for 18 to 20 years from the State Bank of India and REC at a reduced weighted average interest rate of 8.8%. ACME Solar will use the funds to reduce debt costs for its 490 MW renewable energy projects in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.