Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has opened bidding for 4 GW and 16 GWh of standalone battery storage in the western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Winning developers will get support of INR 15 lakh per MWh and a 20-year contract to sell stored power.
The tender in numbers
SECI published the tender, reference SECI/C&P/IPP/15/0013/26-27, on 28 October. According to its tender listing, online bids are due on 19 November. TaiyangNews reports a 23 November deadline for the offline submission.
Rajasthan accounts for 2.5 GW and 10 GWh of the total and Gujarat for 1.5 GW and 6 GWh. All projects are four-hour systems. In Rajasthan, a single bid can range from 50 MW/200 MWh to 625 MW/2,500 MWh; in Gujarat, from 50 MW/200 MWh to 375 MW/1,500 MWh.
Projects will be built, owned and operated by the selected developers, who must also follow Make in India and local content rules for batteries. Commissioning is due 12 months from the effective date, EQ Mag Pro reports.
Support and contract terms
Support of INR 15 lakh per MWh, about INR 2,400 crore for the full 16 GWh, is expected under the request for selection, according to TaiyangNews, SolarQuarter and EQ Mag Pro. The trade titles describe it as viability gap funding. The rate is below the INR 18 lakh per MWh set under the power ministry's INR 5,400 crore scheme for 30 GWh of storage, announced in June 2025.
SolarQuarter and EQ Mag Pro report a 20-year power purchase agreement with SECI. TaiyangNews says SECI will supply the stored energy to buying entities across India and will share the details later.
Charging rules favour solar
At least 51% of the energy used to charge the batteries must come from renewable sources. EQ Mag Pro reports that if non-renewable charging rises above 49%, discharge payments will be cut on a pro-rata basis. In practice this points developers towards charging from solar in the middle of the day.
Part of a fast-growing pipeline
The tender adds to a busy calendar. SECI's own listing shows a separate 800 MW/3,200 MWh tender with bids due on 12 November.
India's National Electricity Plan projects a need for 47.24 GW and 236 GWh of battery storage by 2031-32. According to Rubix Data Sciences, as cited by pv magazine India, the country had 9.08 GWh operating as of August 2026, with 79.92 GWh under construction, 24.13 GWh awarded and 63.53 GWh still being tendered.
What it means for solar developers in Asia
Storage is becoming a condition for growth in India's solar market rather than an extra. Large standalone tenders like this one give the grid a buyer for midday solar output that would otherwise be curtailed, and they create a second business line for solar developers in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Bidders will need to price the lower support rate and strict local content rules into their offers, and they will have only a 12-month build window. Suppliers of batteries, power conversion systems and grid connection services should expect strong demand in western India through 2027.
Source: SECI tender listing, 28 October 2026; TaiyangNews, 31 October 2026; SolarQuarter and EQ Mag Pro; pv magazine India.
