Content

1. Building bridges
2. At sea

Building bridges

 Why in News ?

• India recorded a peak electricity demand of 256.1 GW (April 2026), with solar contributing 21.5% of daytime load but only ~0.1% during evening peak, exposing the critical mismatch between solar generation and storage-backed supply reliability.

Issue in Brief

• Despite rapid solar capacity expansion (~28% of installed capacity in 2026), lack of adequate battery storage leads to energy wastage, curtailment, and grid instability, preventing effective utilisation of renewable energy across the full daily demand cycle.

Relevance

• GS Paper III (Economy / Infrastructure)
  • Energy sector reforms; power sector efficiency; DISCOM viability
  • Renewable energy integration and grid management
• GS Paper III (Environment)
  • Renewable energy transition; climate commitments; net-zero targets
• GS Paper III (Science & Technology)
  • Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS); grid modernisation technologies

Practice Question

Q. “India’s renewable energy transition is constrained not by generation capacity but by storage and grid limitations.” Examine the challenges in integrating solar energy into the power system and suggest measures to ensure reliable clean energy supply. (250 words)

Static Background & Basics

• Solar energy is inherently intermittent and diurnal, generating power only during sunlight hours, necessitating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) or alternatives like pumped hydro to ensure round-the-clock electricity supply and grid balancing.
• India aims for 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, but achieving this requires parallel expansion of storage, transmission, and flexible grid infrastructure to convert renewable capacity into reliable and dispatchable power.

Overview

• Solar contributes significantly during peak sunshine hours (21.5% afternoon share), yet only 10.8% of total daily generation, highlighting a structural mismatch between generation timing and consumption patterns, especially during evening peak demand.
• Severe storage deficit persists, with only 0.7 GWh operational capacity by end-2025, compared to rapidly rising solar installations, creating a systemic imbalance in India’s renewable energy transition strategy.
• Curtailment losses are substantial, with 2.3 TWh of solar energy wasted in 2025, including 0.9 TWh in October alone, imposing fiscal costs due to compensation for unused power and reducing overall system efficiency.
• Grid stability concerns force states to curtail or halt solar supply during surplus generation periods, revealing constraints in transmission infrastructure and absence of storage-based load balancing mechanisms.
• Declining battery tariffs (₹2.21 lakh to ₹1.48 lakh per MW/month in 2025) indicate improving economics, but slow deployment reflects execution, financing, and policy bottlenecks rather than technological limitations.
• Climate variability, including IMD’s forecast of 92% of Long Period Average monsoon, may increase heatwaves and daytime demand, making solar critical, yet without storage, its contribution to energy security remains constrained.
• Inefficient utilisation of solar power raises cost per unit of delivered electricity, worsening DISCOM finances and potentially increasing tariffs, thereby affecting both economic sustainability and consumer affordability.
• Strategic implications include delayed fossil fuel substitution, energy security risks, and challenges in achieving India’s net-zero target (2070), as storage remains the missing link in the renewable energy ecosystem.

Challenges 

• Slow deployment of storage due to high upfront costs, financing barriers, and regulatory uncertainty, limiting large-scale adoption despite improving technology and declining prices.
• Lack of mandatory integration of storage with solar projects leads to fragmented infrastructure, where generation capacity grows without corresponding improvements in dispatchability and reliability.
• Weak financial position of DISCOMs constrains long-term procurement of storage solutions and delays payments, discouraging private sector participation in battery storage investments.
• Limited domestic manufacturing ecosystem for batteries increases import dependence and cost vulnerabilities, particularly for lithium-ion technologies critical to storage deployment.

Way Forward

• Mandate co-located battery storage for all new solar projects, ensuring that renewable energy becomes dispatchable and capable of meeting evening peak demand without reliance on fossil fuel backup.
• Expand Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and policy incentives to accelerate battery storage deployment and reduce financial risks for developers and investors.
• Promote PLI schemes and domestic battery manufacturing ecosystems to reduce import dependence, enhance supply chain resilience, and lower long-term costs.
• Develop integrated renewable energy parks and hybrid systems (solar-wind-storage) to provide round-the-clock clean energy and optimise grid utilisation.

Prelims Pointers

• Solar energy is intermittent, requiring storage for reliability and grid stability.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) enable shifting of energy from surplus to deficit periods.
• Curtailment refers to reduction of power output due to grid constraints or oversupply.

Mains Enrichment

Intro Options

• “India’s renewable energy transition is increasingly constrained not by generation capacity but by the ability to store and dispatch clean energy efficiently.”
• “The rapid growth of solar power in India has exposed a structural gap in energy infrastructure: inadequate storage capacity.”

Conclusion Frameworks

• “Bridging the solar-storage gap is essential to transform renewable energy into reliable baseload power and achieve sustainable energy security.”
• “India’s energy transition success will depend on synchronising generation expansion with storage and grid modernisation.”

At sea

Why in News ?

• Delivery of INS Mahendragiri, sixth ship under Project 17A (₹45,000 crore), highlights India’s push for indigenous warship building, while raising concerns about delays, import dependence, and mismatch between capability and evolving maritime threats.

Issue in Brief

• India is expanding its high-end frigate fleet, but critical sensor dependence, delayed integration, and infrastructure gaps limit operational readiness, creating a disconnect between platform expansion and actual combat effectiveness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Relevance

• GS Paper III (Security / Defence)
  • Maritime security; naval modernisation; Indian Ocean Region (IOR) strategy
  • Indigenous defence production under Atmanirbhar Bharat
• GS Paper III (Science & Technology)
  • Defence technologies: radars, sonar, propulsion systems, network-centric warfare

Practice Question  

Q. “Naval modernisation requires a shift from platform-centric expansion to capability-centric integration.” Analyse the challenges in India’s warship development programmes and suggest reforms for effective maritime security. (250 words)

Static Background & Basics

• Project 17A (Nilgiri-class frigates): Advanced stealth warships with anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine capabilities, successor to Shivalik-class (Project 17).
• Built under Atmanirbhar Bharat, with ~75% indigenous content by value, but key systems like engines, radars, sonars still imported.
• Role: Protect Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), counter threats in Indian Ocean Region, and enhance naval deterrence.

Overview

• Despite rapid induction (6 ships in 17 months), operational readiness is constrained as platforms are delivered without full integration of critical sensors and propulsion systems, limiting combat capability despite formal commissioning.
• Persistent import dependence for high-end components like radars, sonars, and engines delays final integration, exposing vulnerabilities in India’s defence industrial ecosystem despite progress in hull construction.
• CAG observations highlight systemic inefficiencies, including design changes, delayed component supply, and incomplete infrastructure, indicating deeper governance and project management challenges in defence procurement.
• Expansion of frigate fleet is not fully aligned with threat spectrum: high-end platforms are excessive for low-intensity threats (piracy, smuggling) but insufficient against submarine threats without advanced sensors.
• Maritime security architecture (satellites, coastal radar chain, underwater sensors) remains incomplete, making frigates ineffective as mobile nodes in a network-centric warfare system due to weak “detect” capability.
• Increasing presence of People’s Liberation Army Navy submarines in IOR requires advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities, but without premium sensors, frigates cannot effectively counter these threats.
• Overemphasis on shipbuilding to support domestic shipyards and industrial ecosystem risks misallocation of resources, where industrial policy may override strategic threat assessment.
• Strategic implication: mismatch between capital-intensive platforms and actual operational capability undermines India’s maritime deterrence and readiness in a contested Indo-Pacific environment.

Challenges 

• Continued dependence on foreign suppliers for critical systems, affecting timelines and strategic autonomy.
• Weak integration between platform acquisition and supporting infrastructure (dockyards, sensors, logistics).
• Lack of network-centric warfare capability, with incomplete sensor and surveillance grid.
• Misalignment between force structure and threat perception, leading to inefficient resource allocation.

Way Forward

• Prioritise indigenisation of critical technologies such as radars, propulsion systems, and sonar through DRDO–private sector collaboration.
• Shift focus from platform-centric to capability-centric planning, integrating ships with sensors, satellites, and data networks.
• Strengthen project management and procurement reforms to reduce delays and cost overruns.
• Invest in anti-submarine warfare capabilities and maritime domain awareness systems to address emerging threats in IOR.

Prelims Pointers

• Project 17A: Next-generation stealth frigates with multi-role capabilities.
• Indian Ocean Region (IOR): Critical for India’s energy security and trade routes.
• Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs): Vital maritime trade routes.

Mains Enrichment

Intro Options

• “Naval modernisation must balance platform expansion with capability integration to address evolving maritime threats.”
• “India’s maritime security challenges require a shift from quantity of assets to quality of networked capabilities.”

Conclusion Frameworks

• “True naval strength lies not in the number of ships, but in their ability to operate as part of an integrated, technology-driven combat system.”
• “Aligning defence procurement with strategic threat assessment is essential for credible maritime deterrence.”