India BESS Tenders — Weekly Brief (Sept 27 – Oct 3, 2026)

India's battery energy storage market closed the week of 27 September to 3 October 2026 with six live tenders moving through critical bid stages, spanning a one-year ISTS-connected contract at SECI, a 225 MW grid-integration package in Andhra Pradesh, a 90 MW/225 MWh project in Uttarakhand, a 20 MWh island system in the Andamans, a 4 MWh distribution-level installation in Telangana and a 172 MW pilot programme across Rajasthan. Taken together they cover a little over 500 MW of storage-linked scope, from single-megawatt substation batteries to utility-scale standalone plants. The week also brought a major policy signal: the Union Cabinet's approval of the Green Energy Corridor Phase III with provision for 50 GWh of battery storage. Below is a tender-by-tender breakdown, followed by what the pipeline means for battery pack assemblers, integrators and EPC contractors.

New Tenders This Week

SECI Short-Term 50 MW/100 MWh On-Demand BESS Tender — Solar Energy Corporation of India

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is seeking an Energy Storage System Developer to provide 50 MW/100 MWh of two-hour grid-connected storage for a fixed one-year term running from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027. Bids close on 5 October 2026, making this the nearest deadline on the national calendar. Developers propose their own site with ISTS interconnection, own and operate the system, and offer it to SECI on an "on-demand" basis, meaning SECI controls the charge and discharge schedule. The tender is technology-agnostic, carries a ₹50,000 document fee and a ₹10 lakh processing fee, and applies DSM penalties separately for charging and discharging deviations. Short-tenure contracts like this are a useful entry point for newer storage players, since they require far less capital commitment than 12-to-25-year BOOT structures. Read more on Saur Energy

225 MW/450 MWh BESS Grid-Integration Tender (APT-e-66/2026) — Government of Andhra Pradesh, IT, Electronics & Communications Department

The Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and Communications Department tendered the supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the 220/33 kV infrastructure needed to connect a 225 MW/450 MWh battery energy storage system at the Pampanurthanda Substation, Bhanukota Village, in Sri Sathya Sai District. The earnest money deposit is ₹22.75 lakh and the tender fee is ₹11,800. Bids closed on 30 September 2026 through the state e-procurement portal. The package is notable because it separates the grid-connection scope from the battery itself, an approach that gives pack assemblers and integrators a clearer view of where cell and container supply will eventually be needed on this site. Read more on SolarQuarter

90 MW/225 MWh Standalone BESS at Chilla — Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL)

UJVNL's standalone battery tender is sited near the Chilla Substation at the Chilla Hydro Electric Project in Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. The project is structured as Build-Own-Operate-Transfer for 12 years after commercial operation, with the developer installing and operating the BESS and offering UJVNL on-demand charge and discharge rights. Of the 225 MWh, 60 MWh is eligible for Viability Gap Funding at ₹18 lakh/MWh, with the remaining 165 MWh on a non-VGF basis. The ceiling tariff is ₹3,18,401/MW/month including GST, the estimated tender value is ₹352.30 crore, and the EMD is ₹4.50 crore. Operating requirements are demanding: 95% minimum annual availability and two full charge-discharge cycles every day. Techno-commercial bids were opened on 28 August, so the tender is now in the evaluation stage. Read more on Energetica India

20 MWh RESCO-Mode BESS at Dollygunj — Electricity Department, Andaman & Nicobar Administration

The Andaman and Nicobar Administration's Electricity Department tendered a 20 MWh grid-connected battery system at Dollygunj, Sri Vijaya Puram, co-located with NLC India's 20 MW solar plant. The system has two sub-systems: a 4 MW/4 MWh unit for grid stability and a 4 MW/16 MWh unit for bulk energy storage. It follows a build-own-operate RESCO model with 12 years of comprehensive O&M, an indicative capital cost of ₹60 crore, an EMD of ₹1.20 crore, a performance bank guarantee of ₹3 crore and a minimum net worth requirement of ₹10 crore. Performance obligations include 95% annual availability and 85% monthly AC-to-AC round-trip efficiency. Bids were due on 29 September and techno-commercial bids were scheduled to open on 30 September. Island grids are a strong use case for storage because diesel displacement economics are far more favourable than on the mainland. Read more on Energetica India

1 MW/4 MWh Substation BESS (Bid No. II-46/2026-27/CE/Proj/KRMR) — Northern Power Distribution Company of Telangana (TGNPDCL)

TGNPDCL, working through the state IT, Electronics and Communications Department, invited bids for a 1 MW/4 MWh battery energy storage system at the 33/11 kV Waterworks Substation in Karimnagar district. The contractor handles design, engineering, supply, installation, testing and commissioning, and must also provide a 10-year comprehensive annual maintenance contract. Notably, there is no tender fee or EMD. Bids closed on 1 October 2026 at 5:00 PM and the bid opening was scheduled for 3 October at 5:30 PM on the Telangana e-procurement portal. Small distribution-level installations like this one are precisely the scale at which locally assembled, standardised battery systems can compete with large imported containers. Read more on SolarQuarter

172 MW/688 MWh Decentralised Pilot BESS Programme — Rajasthan Discoms (AVVNL, JdVVNL, JVVNL)

Rajasthan's three distribution companies, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigams, floated tenders for pilot-based, small-scale, standalone decentralised battery systems totalling 172 MW/688 MWh on a Build-Own-Operate model. The tenders are valued at over ₹680 crore in aggregate and use a four-hour configuration at feeder and substation level, with bids originally due on 12 August 2026. The pilot has been approved by the state regulator, RERC, and is one of the most interesting procurement experiments in the country because it distributes storage across many small sites rather than concentrating it at a few large ones. For assemblers, that means repeatable 1 MW/4 MWh unit designs, standardised installation and a steady order pattern. Read more on Mercom India

Tender Winners

No new BESS tender awards were announced in India during this reporting window beyond those already covered in recent editions of this brief. The most recent results, including the Maharashtra 2,000 MW/4,000 MWh auction, the SJVN 265 MW/530 MWh Haryana award and the Uttarakhand standalone BESS tariff adoptions, remain the current reference points for bid pricing, and results from the tenders above will be reported as they are announced. View the earlier edition

Policy Update: Green Energy Corridor Phase III Brings 50 GWh of Storage

The most consequential development of the week was not a tender but a funding decision. India's Union Cabinet approved a US$19.3 billion Green Energy Corridor Phase III programme, which includes roughly US$5.2 billion earmarked for 50 GWh of battery energy storage through FY2032-33. That is a demand signal of unusual clarity: a multi-year, centrally backed storage pipeline that sits on top of the Viability Gap Funding already supporting 30 GWh of standalone battery projects. Separately, the Maharashtra electricity regulator proposed making battery storage mandatory for renewable projects seeking grid connectivity in the state, a rule that, if finalised, would create captive storage demand attached to every new solar and wind project in one of India's largest renewable markets. Energy-Storage.News on GEC-III | Energy-Storage.News on the MERC proposal

What This Week's Pipeline Tells Us

Scale is diversifying at both ends

Last year's headlines were dominated by gigawatt-hour auctions. This week's tenders show the market maturing in two directions at once. At the top end, utility-scale projects such as the 90 MW Chilla system and Andhra Pradesh's 225 MW site continue to move forward. At the bottom end, one-megawatt installations in Telangana and 172 MW of small-site pilots in Rajasthan create a distinct, repeatable segment. That lower tier matters for domestic manufacturers and assemblers, because uniform 1 MW/4 MWh blocks can be built in volume, shipped on standard transport and installed quickly by regional contractors.

Four-hour duration is becoming the default

Rajasthan's pilot, Chilla's 2.5-hour configuration and the broader trend visible in national tenders show developers and procurers moving beyond two-hour evening-peak designs. Longer duration changes the product: more cells per megawatt, greater thermal-management demands, and higher importance for cycle life and degradation guarantees. Chilla's requirement for two full cycles daily and 95% availability illustrates how contract terms translate into cell chemistry and pack-design choices.

Contract structure is shaping who can bid

The tenders this week span three distinct models. SECI's one-year on-demand contract is light on capital and heavy on operations. UJVNL's 12-year BOOT and the Andaman RESCO contract demand long-term balance-sheet strength, with net-worth thresholds, bank guarantees and multi-year O&M commitments. Rajasthan's build-own-operate pilots sit between the two. Smaller developers and assemblers who cannot meet the largest net-worth thresholds can still participate through consortium arrangements, supply contracts to winning bidders, or by targeting the lower-capex short-term tenders.

Performance guarantees are tightening

Both the Andaman tender and the UJVNL tender specify 95% annual availability, and the Andaman project adds an 85% AC-to-AC round-trip efficiency floor. These are enforceable, measurable obligations. They push bidders toward established cell suppliers, rigorous battery management systems, proven thermal design and credible long-term service plans. For domestic assemblers, demonstrating field data on availability and efficiency is increasingly a prerequisite to winning supply agreements, not an optional extra.

Pricing context for the coming bids

Recent awards in the market, including Maharashtra's standalone auction in the ₹2.38–₹2.40 lakh/MW/month range and SJVN's Haryana project at ₹2.35 lakh/MW/month, point to tariff levels that continue to compress compared with earlier rounds. Chilla's ceiling of ₹3.18 lakh/MW/month, with part of the capacity VGF-eligible, will be a useful test of how far below ceiling the winning tariff lands. Bidders on upcoming SECI and state tenders will be pricing against these benchmarks, which puts sustained pressure on capital cost, and therefore on the supply chain.

Opportunities for domestic assembly

Three themes stand out for Indian battery system assemblers. First, repeatable small-format systems, from Telangana's substation units to Rajasthan's pilot fleet, favour locally integrated, standardised designs with short lead times and strong after-sales support. Second, the Green Energy Corridor Phase III allocation and the earlier VGF scheme signal a long runway of demand, which supports investment in domestic assembly lines, testing capacity and BMS expertise. Third, regulatory moves such as Maharashtra's proposed mandatory storage for renewable projects would convert storage from an optional add-on into a standard component of every new project, broadening the addressable market considerably.

Key Dates to Watch

SECI's 50 MW/100 MWh tender closes on 5 October 2026. Evaluation outcomes are pending on UJVNL's Chilla project, the Andhra Pradesh grid-integration package, the Andaman Dollygunj project and the Telangana Karimnagar installation. Further procurement from Rajasthan's discoms, state utilities and central public sector undertakings is expected as Viability Gap Funding allocations flow through to implementing agencies.