India Urges Energy Storage Sector to Reduce Import Dependency, Boost Domestic R&D and Manufacturing
Key Insights
Union Minister Piyush Goyal urged Indian energy storage companies to reduce import dependency and diversify their supply chains for greater resilience.
The minister emphasized the critical need for increased domestic research and development to foster innovation and achieve self-sufficiency in energy storage technologies.
Goyal called for industry collaboration to develop robust charging and battery swapping infrastructure, essential for accelerating electric vehicle adoption across India.
He highlighted India's significant growth in solar and renewable energy capacity, stressing the strategic importance of expanding domestic manufacturing in critical minerals and semiconductors.
New Delhi – India's Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, on Thursday, July 10, 2025, urged domestic energy storage companies to significantly reduce their reliance on imports from specific countries and actively seek diversified supply sources. Speaking at a key industry event in New Delhi focused on energy storage, Goyal emphasized the critical need for heightened research and development (R&D) efforts to foster the creation of innovative, domestically produced solutions.
Minister Goyal underscored the imperative to prevent market distortions and build supply chain resilience by exploring alternative geographies for crucial components. His remarks come amidst ongoing challenges faced by sectors like the automotive industry, which has grappled with restrictions on rare earth magnets from certain nations, and the agricultural sector, impacted by curbs on fertilizer exports. "We must reduce our dependency on particular geographies and look at alternative sources of supply, where we can have resilience in our supply chain," Goyal stated, advocating for self-sufficiency through new technologies.
Beyond import substitution, the minister called for a concerted effort among all industry stakeholders to accelerate the development of robust charging and battery swapping infrastructure, which is vital for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the nation. He also highlighted the burgeoning opportunities for expanding domestic manufacturing in strategically important areas such as critical minerals and semiconductors, components crucial for advanced energy technologies.
Highlighting India's remarkable progress in renewable energy, Goyal cited impressive growth figures: a nearly 4,000 percent increase in installed solar capacity, bringing the nation's total renewable energy capacity to 227 GW. He further noted that solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity has surged approximately 38-fold, while solar photovoltaic cell capacity has seen a 21-fold increase. These statistics underscore the significant strides India has made in clean energy deployment and the immense potential for further localization of the supply chain.
The government's proactive measures aim to bolster domestic manufacturing capabilities within this segment, aligning with India's broader vision of becoming a global leader in renewable energy and green technologies. This strategic push is expected to fortify India's energy independence and enhance its competitive edge in the global clean energy market.