India BESS Tenders Weekly Brief - 10-17th October

India's battery storage procurement pipeline kept its momentum this week, with eight new tenders and notices entering the market and three significant awards announced. The headline items are MAHAGENCO's 500 MW/1,600 MWh build-own-operate programme across six Maharashtra sites, the Andhra Pradesh Power Coordination Committee's 1,250 MW/5,000 MWh standalone BESS call, and the results of Rajasthan's 2,450 MW solar-plus-storage auction at Pugal, which discovered a lowest tariff of ₹3.42/kWh. Together, the new tenders represent nearly 4 GW of storage power capacity and more than 15 GWh of declared battery energy capacity, spanning standalone storage, solar-plus-storage hybrids, and small behind-the-meter systems. For battery pack makers, system integrators and EPC contractors, the signal is consistent: state utilities and central public sector undertakings are moving from pilots to multi-site, multi-gigawatt-hour procurement.

Below is a full breakdown of each new tender, the awards announced during the week, and what the numbers suggest for the ecosystem.

New Tenders This Week

MAHAGENCO 500 MW/1,600 MWh BESS Tender, Six Sites Across Maharashtra

The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO) has invited online bids under RFx No. CE/RE-P&P/500MW/BESS/2026 for the development of 500 MW/1,600 MWh of battery storage on a build-own-operate basis, with 15 years of operation and maintenance. The capacity is split across six locations connected at MSETCL substations (33 kV and above): Uran (100 MW/400 MWh), Koradi (100 MW/400 MWh), Nashik (100 MW/400 MWh), Khaperkheda (100 MW/200 MWh), Chandrapur–Lakhmapur (50 MW/100 MWh) and Parli (50 MW/100 MWh), mixing two-hour and four-hour configurations. Document download opened on 16 October, the pre-bid conference is on 23 October, and online bids are due on 6 November 2026, followed by a two-bid evaluation and e-reverse auction. Read the official notice

Andhra Pradesh Power Coordination Committee (APPCC) 1,250 MW/5,000 MWh Standalone BESS Tender

APPCC, acting on behalf of the state's three distribution companies, has floated a tender for three standalone BESS projects on a build-own-operate model: 500 MW/2,000 MWh at the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (connected at the 400 kV Jammalamadugu substation), 250 MW/1,000 MWh at the Talaricheruvu RE project, and 500 MW/2,000 MWh at the NP Kunta RE project. Each project is bid and awarded separately, with a 12-year battery energy storage purchase agreement, a 0.25 C-rate, 85% monthly AC-to-AC round-trip efficiency, 95% availability, grid-forming inverters across the contracted capacity, a ban on refurbished cells and an India-developed EMS application. Eligibility requires either 400 MWh of operating grid-connected BESS or 1 GW of grid-connected projects, and a net worth and turnover of ₹1.5 crore/MW. Bids close on 23 November 2026. Read the coverage

Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) 1,000 MW Solar with 2,000 MWh BESS

KPCL has invited bids for 1,000 MW AC of ground-mounted solar PV integrated with 2,000 MWh of battery storage (a two-hour configuration) under tender reference KPCL/2026-27/SE0391, published on 12 October. The procurement follows tariff-based competitive bidding with an e-reverse auction and covers development, operation and maintenance across sites in Karnataka. The pre-bid meeting is on 22 October, bids are due on 11 November and technical bids open on 13 November 2026. The scale makes this one of the largest state-utility solar-plus-storage calls of the year. Read the coverage

POWERGRID 187.5 MW/750 MWh BESS (Package TS-BESS-01), Maheswaram, Telangana

Power Grid Corporation of India has invited domestic bids to pre-select a contractor for a four-hour, 187.5 MW/750 MWh BESS at the Maheswaram 400/220 kV substation, under reference CC/T/W-BESS/DOM/A02/26/14098. The tender sits within the tariff-based competitive bidding route, with POWERGRID positioning itself to participate in the Telangana state procurement for storage at the same substation. The document fee is ₹25,000, bids are due on 19 October 2026 at 11:00 AM, and bids open the same day. Eligibility is open to firms registered in India, including government-owned enterprises. Read the coverage

TGREDCO 3,000 MW ISTS Solar with 1,000 MW/6,000 MWh Energy Storage

The Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TGREDCO) issued a Request for Selection on 13 October 2026 for 3,000 MW of ISTS-connected solar PV paired with 1,000 MW/6,000 MWh of energy storage systems, a six-hour storage ratio that is notably longer than most recent tenders. It is one part of a wider Telangana programme of roughly 5,800 MW of renewable procurement announced the same day. The RfS fee is ₹50,000 plus GST, the bid processing fee is ₹20,000/MW capped at ₹20 lakh, and selected developers face a success charge of ₹1 lakh/MW. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 22 October 2026. Read the coverage

WBSEDCL 50 MW Solar with 10 MW/40 MWh BESS, Purulia, West Bengal

West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) has floated an EPC-plus-O&M tender for a 50 MW solar PV plant integrated with a 10 MW/40 MWh battery system in Purulia district, with 12 years of operation and maintenance. The BESS must maintain 95% availability and at least 83% AC-DC-AC round-trip efficiency, and the solar plant carries a guaranteed first-year generation of 78 MU. Bidders must show at least 20 MWh of commissioned BESS (including one installation of 2 MW or more) and a ₹75 crore annual turnover. EMD is ₹5 crore; bids are due on 17 November and technical bids open on 19 November 2026. Read the coverage

Indian Railways ₹8.73 Crore Tender for a 4 MWh Battery Energy Storage System

The Deputy Chief Electrical Engineer (Dy.CEE/M), acting for the President of India, has invited electronic tenders for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 4 MWh BESS to provide power backup for a climatic chamber. The estimated value is ₹8.73 crore. The tender was uploaded on 9 October 2026 with bidding scheduled to begin on 23 October. Though small in capacity, it highlights a growing category of institutional, behind-the-meter storage buyers, where assembled and certified turnkey systems are the main requirement. Read the coverage

GRIDCO ESIA Consultancy for the 225 MW Upper Indravati Floating Solar and Battery Storage Project, Odisha

GRIDCO, Odisha's state power trading utility, has invited bids for consultancy services to assess the environmental and social impact of the Upper Indravati floating solar and battery energy storage project, including its evacuation infrastructure and associated transmission lines. Although this is a consultancy notice rather than an equipment tender, it is an early indicator that a hybrid floating-solar-plus-storage project is moving through pre-development, with equipment procurement expected to follow. Read the coverage

Tender Winners

Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company, Pugal Solar Park Lot 1: NLC India, Rama Reflection and Coal India Win 2,000 MW of Solar-Plus-Storage

Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company, a subsidiary of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation, announced the results of its Lot 1 auction for 2,000 MW of solar paired with battery storage for peak power supply in Bikaner. Thirty-one bidders took part, and the lowest tariff of ₹3.53/kWh was around 12.4% below the ₹4.03/kWh starting price. NLC India secured 1,000 MW and Rama Reflection India 250 MW, both at ₹3.53/kWh, while Coal India won the remaining 750 MW at ₹3.54/kWh. The highest quoted tariff was ₹6.66/kWh, nearly double the winning level, a spread that shows how aggressively developers priced storage and modules. Read the coverage

Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company, Pugal Solar Park Lot 2: Coal India and LEO Energies Win 450 MW at ₹3.42–₹3.43/kWh

In the 450 MW Lot 2, which drew 17 bids, Coal India secured 225 MW of solar with 140 MW/560 MWh of battery storage at ₹3.42/kWh, the lowest tariff discovered across the entire 2,450 MW auction. LEO Energies won the other 225 MW at ₹3.43/kWh. Across both lots the programme pairs 2,450 MW of solar with 1,600 MW/6,400 MWh of BESS, making it one of the largest solar-plus-storage awards in the country. IESA's president noted that the bidding reflected squeezed margins and strong state-level outreach. Read the coverage

WBSEDCL Standalone 50 MW/200 MWh BESS at Arambag, Hooghly: NLC India Renewables Wins the Letter of Award

NLC India Renewables Limited has received a Letter of Award from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company for a 50 MW/200 MWh standalone BESS at Arambag in Hooghly district, following a tariff-based competitive bidding process run by the state's Department of Power. The four-hour system is intended to support grid stability and give the distribution utility flexibility in managing peak demand. The award adds to NLC's growing storage portfolio and follows its larger Rajasthan win the same week. Read the coverage

Market Signals: What This Week Tells Us

Tender sizes are scaling up. TGREDCO's 6 GWh storage requirement on its own exceeds India's entire cumulative installed battery base as of March 2026 (about 5.9 GWh, according to Mercom), and APPCC's 5 GWh call comes close to matching it, with MAHAGENCO's 1.6 GWh programme adding to the pile. Procurement is no longer pilot-scale.

Four-hour storage has become the default, with some pushing to six. APPCC, POWERGRID and WBSEDCL's awarded project all use four-hour durations, while TGREDCO's 1,000 MW/6,000 MWh requirement points to a six-hour ratio. Two-hour hybrids, such as KPCL's, continue alongside them, so integrators need flexible system architectures.

Technical conditions are tightening in favour of domestic capability. APPCC's requirements for grid-forming inverters, no refurbished cells and an India-developed EMS application, together with demanding experience thresholds in several tenders, favour bidders with local engineering depth, proven operating references and strong after-sales support.

Policy support is catching up. The Union Cabinet earmarked ₹6,000 crore of viability gap funding to support 50 GWh of BESS under the Green Energy Corridor Phase-III programme, and the Ministry of Finance clarified that stationary, grid-scale and industrial lithium-ion BESS qualify for the concessional 10% basic customs duty rather than the 20% rate applied to power banks. Both developments improve project economics and should sustain the tender pipeline.

Tariffs are falling. Rajasthan's winning bids of ₹3.42–₹3.54/kWh for solar-plus-storage, with a highest bid nearly twice the lowest, show how far competitive pressure has pushed prices. Assemblers and integrators supplying these developers should expect sustained pressure on pack and system pricing.

Smaller buyers are emerging. Alongside gigawatt-scale tenders, institutional buyers such as Indian Railways and state projects like Himachal Pradesh's newly inaugurated 2 MW solar plant with 1 MWh storage in Spiti Valley show demand for compact, certified systems at the edge of the grid.

Key Dates to Watch

• 19 October: POWERGRID TS-BESS-01 bid submission (Maheswaram, Telangana)

• 22 October: KPCL and TGREDCO pre-bid meetings

• 23 October: MAHAGENCO pre-bid conference; Indian Railways BESS bidding begins

• 6 November: MAHAGENCO 500 MW/1,600 MWh bid deadline

• 11 November: KPCL 1,000 MW solar plus 2,000 MWh bid deadline

• 17 November: WBSEDCL Purulia solar-plus-BESS bid deadline

• 23 November: APPCC 1,250 MW/5,000 MWh bid deadline

The Takeaway

The week's activity confirms that India's storage market is being built through state-level procurement as much as through central programmes. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and West Bengal all opened substantial tenders in the same seven days, while Rajasthan's results demonstrated that aggressive tariffs are being won by experienced public-sector developers. For the assemblers, integrators and component suppliers behind these projects, the opportunity lies in local content, bankable safety and performance certification, and the ability to deliver at the pace that multi-site programmes demand.

This brief is published weekly by Urjapod Energy, a battery energy storage assembly company based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Tender details are drawn from published notices and trade press; bidders should always confirm eligibility, dates and amendments in the official tender documents before participating.