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India will make substantial investments in green energy corridors to address grid stability challenges arising from the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Santosh Kumar Sarangi, said on Monday.
Addressing a session on 'New Energy Partnerships in a Volatile World' at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit 2026 held in New Delhi, Sarangi stressed that strengthening transmission infrastructure would be critical to sustaining India's clean energy transition. "India will be substantially investing in green energy corridors to tackle the issue of grid stability that is required for induction of renewable energy," Sarangi said. He underlined that ensuring "affordable, reliable and sustainable energy" remains central to India's economic growth and global competitiveness. According to him, India's energy transition strategy must go beyond adding renewable capacity and focus equally on creating supporting infrastructure such as storage systems, grid modernisation and efficient transmission networks. Sarangi also said electricity prices need to be reduced to help India remain competitive globally, especially as energy costs increasingly influence industrial growth and investment decisions. He noted that lowering costs would require "technological innovation, improved efficiencies and scaled investments across the renewable energy value chain". Highlighting operational concerns in the renewable energy sector, the MNRE Secretary said that curtailment challenges could be addressed through enhanced grid infrastructure and improved planning mechanisms, which would help unlock the full potential of renewable energy assets. During the session, Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance, called for deeper collaboration between Indian and international private sector players to strengthen resilient supply chains. "I would suggest that the Indian private sector probably needs to tie up a lot more with some of the international private sector, because I keep hearing from the private sector of all the countries that the road for supply chain diversification will lead through India," Khanna said. He added that India is well-positioned to emerge as a global hub for clean energy manufacturing and deployment due to its large domestic market, improving policy environment and expanding technological capabilities. Tarun Sawhney, Chairman, CII Committee on Bioenergy and Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., highlighted the growing importance of bioenergy in strengthening energy security and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Rupal Gupta, Founder, Managing Director and CEO, Oriana Power, pointed to challenges including grid integration, execution constraints and financing barriers for emerging technologies such as battery storage and green hydrogen. (ANI)
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