Reliance, JSW, Amara Raja, Exide among 22 bidders for ACC battery manufacturing PLI scheme

Reliance Industries, JSW Neo Energy, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies and Exide Energy Solutions are among 22 companies that have submitted bids for 10 GWh of advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery manufacturing capacity under the Centre’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) said it received 22 bids under a global tender floated to select beneficiary companies for setting up large-scale ACC manufacturing facilities in India. The technical bids were opened on November 11 at the ministry in the presence of participating bidders.

The 10 GWh capacity on offer is earmarked for grid-scale stationary storage (GSSS) applications and forms part of India's broader target of establishing 50 GWh of domestic ACC manufacturing capacity under the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage.

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Apart from Reliance Industries, JSW Neo Energy, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies and Exide Energy Solutions, the list of bidders includes ACME Solar Holdings, Avaada Electro, Fujiyama Power Systems, GK Energy, Godawari New Energy, JPM Energy Solutions, Lineage Power and Mahendra Sponge and Power.

Other participants include Megha Engineering and Infrastructures, Nsure Reliable Power Solutions, Renew Photovoltaics, Sai Bioenergy, Shirdi Sai Electricals, Sun Drops Energia, Utex New Energy, Vikram Solar, Waaree Energy Storage Solutions and Zetsol Energy.

The request for proposal (RFP) was issued on July 15, 2026, while the pre-bid conference was held on July 29. The deadline for submission of bids was November 10, with the technical bids subsequently opened the following day.

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The selection process is being conducted through a two-stage Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) mechanism on the Central Public Procurement Portal.

The ACC battery storage PLI scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2021 with a budgetary outlay of ₹18,100 crore. It aims to develop 50 GWh of domestic ACC manufacturing capacity and encourage major domestic and international companies to establish globally competitive battery manufacturing facilities in India.

Although beneficiaries were awarded 40 GWh (gigawatt-hours) of battery-cell capacity, production has barely begun. Apart from Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola Cell Technologies, no PLI beneficiary has set up cell-manufacturing capacity. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), through its subsidiaries Reliance New Energy Battery Ltd and Reliance New Energy Battery Storage Ltd, was awarded 15 GWh of capacity under the ACC PLI scheme. No cell maker has received an incentive yet.

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The latest 10 GWh tender is particularly significant as it targets grid-scale stationary storage, a segment expected to gain importance as India expands its renewable energy capacity and requires larger energy-storage systems to manage intermittent power generation.

The participation of 22 companies highlights growing industry interest in India's energy-storage manufacturing opportunity. The next stage of the selection process will determine which bidders qualify for the proposed capacity allocation.