MHI launches tender for 10 GWh grid-scale ACC manufacturing capacity
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has issued a global Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify beneficiaries for setting up 10 GWh of giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing capacity in India. The facilities will be developed for Grid-Scale Stationary Storage Systems (GSSS) under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for ACC Battery Storage.
The latest tender represents the final capacity tranche under the ACC PLI programme and is the first to be exclusively earmarked for stationary storage applications.
Tender schedule
The bidding process will be conducted online through the Central Public Procurement (CPP) Portal using a two-stage Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) mechanism.
Tender documents were made available on July 15, 2026. MHI has scheduled a pre-bid conference for July 29, 2026, while the deadline for submission of bids is October 13, 2026. Technical bids will be opened on October 14, 2026.
PLI programme
The Union Cabinet approved the PLI Scheme for ACC Battery Storage in May 2021 with a financial outlay of Rs 181 billion to support the establishment of 50 GWh of domestic ACC manufacturing capacity.
Prior to the current tender, 40 GWh had been allocated through earlier bidding rounds. With the launch of the present RFP, the government has initiated the process for awarding the balance 10 GWh, thereby completing the capacity envisaged under the scheme.
The first round of allocations was conducted in March 2022, while a subsequent bidding round was held in September 2024 following the withdrawal of one of the previously selected beneficiaries.
Storage focus
Unlike earlier allocations, which covered broader ACC manufacturing requirements, the latest tranche has been reserved for grid-scale stationary storage applications. The move comes at a time when battery energy storage systems are increasingly being integrated into India’s power sector to support renewable energy deployment and provide balancing services to the grid.
Grid-scale storage is expected to play a larger role in meeting the country’s growing requirement for firm and dispatchable renewable power, with multiple battery energy storage procurements already underway across central and state agencies.
The tender marks the final phase of the government’s efforts to establish a domestic ACC manufacturing ecosystem under the PLI framework while aligning future battery manufacturing capacity with the evolving needs of the power sector.
