Energy storage systems in India: A key enabler for a sustainable energy future

The global proliferation of technology and economic expansion has resulted in a substantial surge in electricity consumption, leading to a notable rise in greenhouse gas emissions. India is not an exception to this trend; its fast-expanding population and economy reflect this. Providing the rising demand for energy while lowering carbon emissions presents a challenge for the national energy sector. The solution to this conundrum is the Energy Storage System (ESS), which would allow the flawless, most efficient integration of renewable energy (RE) into the power system. Also, ESS can be crucial in its role in smoothing out renewables’ intermittency in Distributed Generation systems (DGs), guaranteeing a consistent and dependable energy supply for consumers in rural and remote regions, enabling India to achieve its SDG7 goal of “universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030”. This paper transverses its journey from an overview of the ESS landscape in India, including the evolution of ESS technologies, the current market scenario, and an analysis of the government's policies and programmes aimed at the diffusion of ESS. After examining the policies and programmes, the challenges will be identified which need to be addressed for the sustainable development of ESS in India through policy prescription, which will lead to a greener and more robust power system.