Ratul Puri on Integrated Energy Infrastructure: Why India Must Move Beyond Renewable Capacity Addition

India’s energy transition is entering a new phase where the focus is shifting from adding renewable capacity alone to building a more integrated, reliable and flexible power ecosystem. As electricity demand rises across industries, mobility, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and data centres, the ability to deliver power consistently and efficiently will become as important as generation capacity itself.

Ratul Puri, Chairman of Hindustan Power, believes India is moving into an “era of electricity” where transmission infrastructure, battery storage, solar-plus-storage solutions and smart grids will play a crucial role alongside renewable energy expansion. According to him, the future of India’s power sector will depend on creating an ecosystem capable of delivering reliable power on demand at the lowest delivered cost. This will require focused investments in:

• energy storage
• grid flexibility
• transmission networks
• localised power infrastructure

Speaking about the country's growing electricity needs, Ratul Puri noted that India's peak power demand touched record levels of around 270 GW during the May 2026 heatwave, reflecting not only seasonal demand but also the steady rise in electricity consumption driven by manufacturing, electric mobility and expanding digital infrastructure. The trend highlights the growing need for stronger transmission and distribution networks alongside large-scale renewable energy deployment.

According to Ratul Puri, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are rapidly evolving from power generators into integrated energy transition partners. As the sector moves beyond standalone power generation towards integrated energy solutions, IPPs are increasingly focusing on:

• energy storage
• grid support and transmission infrastructure
• hybrid power solutions
• energy management

He believes that the industry's focus has shifted from simply adding megawatts of renewable capacity to delivering reliable, flexible and long-term energy solutions. IPPs are also supporting the electrification of transport, industrial decarbonisation and the growing energy demand from sectors such as mobility, manufacturing and data infrastructure.

Separately, a CRISIL–FICCI report on India's energy transition highlights that Energy Storage Systems (ESS), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) will be critical to ensuring reliable and sustainable power supplies. The report notes that while renewable capacity will continue to expand rapidly, transitional power and flexible generation will remain essential for maintaining grid stability, meeting peak demand and supporting Round-the-Clock (RTC) electricity availability.

Ratul Puri also emphasises that cleaner energy systems supported by a phased and balanced transition will be critical to:

• supporting economic growth
• enabling industrial expansion
• strengthening energy security

India’s power sector is moving into a phase where reliability and flexibility are becoming just as important as renewable capacity addition. As electricity demand rises across sectors such as mobility, manufacturing and data infrastructure, the grid will require cleaner power sources capable of supplying electricity beyond peak solar generation hours.

This is increasing the importance of solar-plus-storage, hybrid power and dispatchable renewable energy solutions, which can provide a more stable and predictable power supply while enabling higher renewable integration into the grid. These technologies also help reduce transmission constraints, improve system efficiency and strengthen long-term energy security as India builds a more resilient electricity ecosystem.

In one of his recent interviews, Ratul Puri said Hindustan Power's long-term vision remains focused on achieving 5 GW of installed capacity by 2028. The company has outlined a roadmap to scale both its renewable and transitional energy portfolio, while its near-term strategy focuses on structured capacity additions across key Indian states.

India’s next phase of energy development will depend on how effectively renewable energy generation is integrated with transmission, storage and smart-grid infrastructure. As electricity demand continues to rise from electric mobility, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and AI-powered data centres, the priority will be ensuring that clean power is available round the clock, rather than only during peak renewable generation hours.

According to Ratul Puri, maintaining grid stability, reducing transmission congestion and strengthening long-term energy security will require sustained investment in battery energy storage, solar-plus-storage projects, flexible transmission networks and localised power infrastructure. An integrated approach that combines generation, storage and grid modernisation will be essential to supporting India's economic growth while advancing its clean energy ambitions over the coming decade.

About Ratul Puri:

Ratul Puri is the Chairman of Hindustan Power, an integrated power generation company with a strong presence in renewable and transitional energy generation. Over the years, Ratul Puri has been involved in the development of large-scale energy infrastructure projects that support India’s growing power requirements and its transition toward cleaner energy sources.