Mumbai, Nov. 5 -- India must strengthen its electricity grid infrastructure, expand battery storage capacity and ensure the commercial viability of clean power to achieve its climate goals, industry body ASSOCHAM said ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Turkiye, scheduled for November 9-20.
ASSOCHAM said India had made significant progress in expanding non-fossil fuel-based power capacity, but greater investment in supporting infrastructure would be essential to ensure reliable electricity supply. The industry body said clean energy capacity needed to be connected to the grid, supported by storage and made commercially viable rather than simply installed.
India's non-fossil fuel-based power capacity reached 300.5 gigawatts (GW) in July 2026 after a record addition of 55.29 GW during FY2025-26. Solar power accounted for 44.6 GW of the addition, while non-fossil sources represented more than 54 per cent of the country's total installed electricity capacity.
This share has surpassed India's 2030 target of 50 per cent five years ahead of schedule. ASSOCHAM said the country's clean energy transition would require an estimated USD 2.5 tn to achieve its 2030 climate goals, while battery storage requirements were projected to rise from 37 GWh by 2027 to 236 GWh by 2031-32.
The industry body is submitting a report titled From Pledges to Projects: India's Agenda for COP31 to the Prime Minister's Office, NITI Aayog and relevant climate-action groups. The report contains recommendations to mobilise climate finance, accelerate industrial decarbonisation and convert India's climate commitments into investment and implementation.
ASSOCHAM will also advance industry engagement through an Industry Task Force, a Business Climate Investment Agenda and representations to ministries. The initiatives are intended to support clean energy investment and implementation, with industry and government working together to translate installed capacity into reliable electricity and measurable climate action.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.