India’s leading energy storage industry body, the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), has called on BRICS members, including Brazil, Russia and the UAE, to strengthen energy cooperation and secure critical mineral supplies to support India’s clean energy transition. The recommendations were presented to the Government of India during a virtual event organised by the Ministry of Power (MoP), with IESA responsible for technical coordination. Representatives from Brazil, Russia and the UAE participated in the event, which focused on expanding international collaboration in advanced energy storage, building resilient domestic supply chains and ensuring reliable access to critical minerals needed to meet India’s growing renewable energy ambitions.
India’s clean industrial investment pipeline has reached an estimated US$433 billion, placing the country among the world’s top three centres for clean industrial development. With 65 projects spanning four sectors and 11 states, India is rapidly advancing in clean fuels, chemicals, and low-carbon manufacturing. Over the past six months alone, the pipeline has grown by 30%, fueled by surging investment in green hydrogen, renewable-energy-based manufacturing, and forward-thinking industrial policies focused on energy security.
Debmalya Sen, President of IESA, emphasised, “Energy storage is now essential for both grid flexibility and resilience as renewable integration rises. No single technology can meet all system needs; diverse solutions and strong BRICS collaboration across value chains, manufacturing, and innovation are critical.”
In energy storage, India’s project pipeline has exceeded 100 GW, with gigafactory announcements and R&D investments multiplying. Green ammonia leads the sector with the largest share of new projects, while sustainable aviation fuel, green methanol, and low-carbon aluminium also show growing momentum. The nation’s clean energy ambitions are further bolstered by strong action in solar and wind energy, where India now ranks among the world’s leaders.
Despite this robust progress, the industry remains heavily import-dependent for minerals and key components, underlining the need for robust domestic manufacturing and integrated supply chains.
A government official said, “India’s energy storage pipeline has crossed 100 GW, with around 10 GW commissioned. Yet, we remain highly import-dependent for minerals and key components. Expanding PLI support to recycling and advanced chemistries, and dedicated allocations for stationary storage, are vital for building a resilient domestic value chain.”
India’s market momentum is further supported by major state incentives, new gigafactory proposals, and a surge in R&D activity. These developments are set to create jobs, reduce costs, and strengthen India’s standing as a global clean energy leader, provided mineral supply security is prioritised.
José Jesus Lima Neto, Infrastructure Analyst, Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Brazil, noted,“Clean-energy technologies require substantially higher mineral inputs than conventional energy systems. The growth of downstream battery manufacturing depends on secure upstream supply and midstream processing, where BRICS countries collectively hold significant resource advantages.”
Brazil’s upcoming capacity-reserve auction for battery projects with national-content requirements is expected to catalyse market development and local value chain growth.
Eng. Shuvendu Kumar Bose, Energy Expert, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, UAE, observed,“The key challenge is increasingly linked to transmission economics rather than renewable variability alone. Co-locating storage can improve dispatchability, flatten tariffs, and reduce overall system costs, while also raising critical regulatory questions on tariff design and cost allocation. Our large-scale solar-plus-battery projects reflect this new focus.”
IESA’s recommendations also call for mutual recognition of test reports, harmonised measurement protocols, and coordinated pilot projects to unlock distributed storage potential across the BRICS nations.
Yuri Vlasov, Founder and CEO, Watts Battery, Russia, stated, “System adequacy and local network reliability can diverge, with localised outages occurring even when the broader grid remains adequate. Building-level storage addressed network constraints more cost-effectively and rapidly than conventional grid reinforcement. Harmonised standards and joint pilots for distributed storage are the way forward.”
Experts from India’s TERI and Brazil’s Electric Sector Studies Group (GESEL/UFRJ) emphasised the transformative potential of long-duration energy storage, while UAE and Russian leaders highlighted the urgency for supportive regulation and standardised techno-economic assessment. With IESA’s technical leadership and the active engagement of BRICS industry experts, India stands poised to build a resilient, flexible, and sustainable energy future. The alliance’s latest recommendations are set to accelerate progress through structured knowledge sharing, joint demonstration projects, and harmonised standards for next-generation storage technologies.
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