The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) successfully conducted a pre-bid conference on July 29, 2026 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, for companies interested in establishing 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing capacity under the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. According to the latest press release from PIB Delhi, the conference witnessed active participation from 29 prospective bidders, representatives from industry associations, and officials from NITI Aayog, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), and the Ministry of Power. During the conference, ministry officials explained the scope of the global tender and responded to queries from prospective bidders, with companies able to submit additional questions by August 20, 2026.
The tender is part of the government's ₹18,100-crore ACC PLI scheme, approved in 2021 to establish domestic battery manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports. As reported by Business Standard, while earlier bidding rounds allocated 40 GWh of manufacturing capacity, the government decided earlier this year that the remaining 10 GWh would be reserved exclusively for batteries meant for grid-scale energy storage as India expands renewable energy capacity. The 10 GWh capacity being tendered this time is specifically meant for grid-scale stationary storage — large battery systems that store electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind and supply it to the grid when required.
The tender documents were released on July 15, 2026 on the Central Public Procurement (CPP) Portal by MHI, with bids required to be submitted by October 13, 2026 and opening scheduled for October 14, 2026. According to the latest PIB release, the bidding process will follow a quality- and cost-based selection (QCBS) framework, under which bidders are evaluated on both their technical capability and financial bid, instead of price alone. The bidding will be conducted online through the government's Central Public Procurement (CPP) portal using separate technical and financial bids, ensuring transparency and fair evaluation.
The initiative aims to promote domestic manufacturing of ACC, enhance energy security, and support the deployment of grid-scale energy storage systems for renewable energy integration, as stated by the ministry. ACCs are advanced rechargeable battery cells used in electric vehicles and large energy storage systems, making this allocation particularly significant for India's renewable energy integration goals. The scheme represents a strategic move to establish India's position in the global battery manufacturing sector while supporting the country's renewable energy transition.
