GEAPP launches India grid accelerator with $25 million commitment

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) has launched the India Grids of the Future Accelerator at Mumbai Climate Week 2026, committing up to $25 million to modernise power distribution infrastructure. The platform aims to help utilities integrate renewable energy and storage while preparing grids for rising electricity demand.

GEAPP signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with distribution companies (DISCOMs) in Delhi and Rajasthan, naming them as the first “Champion Utilities.” The Alliance also signed an agreement with the All India DISCOM Association (AIDA) to expand sector-wide engagement. Funding will support renewable integration, energy storage deployment, and institutional capacity building within utilities.

The launch included ENTICE 3.0, the latest Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge, focused on energy storage and grid digitalisation. The programme will support non-lithium storage demonstrations and solutions to digitise large volumes of grid assets, connecting innovators with utilities, policymakers, and capital providers to accelerate large-scale deployment.

Woochong Um, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GEAPP, said the initiative marks a shift toward platform-based execution to support reliable, flexible, and scalable grid development. Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, formally announced the Accelerator and said it aims to support development of a digitised and flexible grid. Jayant Sinha, President of Eversource Capital and former Union Minister, said future-ready power systems are central to growth and energy security under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

The Accelerator will operate through a D4 framework covering utility digitalisation, integration of distributed energy resources, consumer participation, and development of an innovation ecosystem. By 2030, the programme targets support for at least 15 utilities and impact on nearly 300 million people. It also plans a three-year $100 million fundraising effort from 2026 to 2028 to mobilise public and private investment.

GEAPP’s 2025 impact report stated that India helped unlock $1 billion in financing for 26 projects, improving electricity access for 49 million people, affecting 2.2 million jobs and livelihoods, and reducing 166 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

The featured photograph is for representation only.