Hindustan Power’s Vision for a Reliable, Clean‑Energy Future
On August 13, 2026, Ratul Puri, Chairman of Hindustan Power, outlined a strategic shift in India’s renewable energy landscape. He stated that the sector is moving away from a sole focus on the lowest‑tariff renewable generation toward building a power system that delivers dependable, dispatchable and affordable clean energy. This transition aligns with India’s 2030 non‑fossil‑fuel capacity targets and reflects the need to consider the systemic value of renewable projects beyond simple tariff competitiveness.
Puri emphasized that as renewable penetration rises, the power sector must address storage, transmission, and delivery challenges. He argued that evaluating projects only on tariff competitiveness is insufficient; factors such as transmission constraints, intermittency, balancing requirements, storage needs, and curtailment risks now influence the true cost of delivering power. Consequently, a “lowest systemic cost” approach is becoming increasingly relevant.
Role of Storage‑Backed and Hybrid Projects
Puri noted that storage‑backed renewable and hybrid projects may entail higher upfront capital outlays, but they can alleviate pressure on the broader power system, improve renewable utilisation, and enhance power availability when needed. Procurement strategies are therefore beginning to place greater value on capacity, operational responsiveness, and dependable delivery alongside competitive pricing. Hybrid configurations that combine solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are highlighted as especially important for meeting peak demand while providing reliable, dispatchable clean power.
Flexibility and Ancillary Services
The chairman highlighted that flexibility services—traditionally managed through conventional generation—must receive explicit valuation in a high‑renewable‑penetration grid. Ramping reserves, frequency response, and fast‑response balancing services are becoming essential to manage variability and maintain system performance. Energy storage, including BESS and pumped‑hydro storage, is central to providing the capacity needed to reduce variability, minimise curtailment, and improve clean‑energy utilisation.
Policy, Regulatory and Infrastructure Requirements
Puri called for supportive policy frameworks to accelerate storage deployment, including faster regulatory approvals, streamlined land and water clearances, and continued expansion of storage‑linked renewable projects. He warned that inadequate transmission infrastructure in several Indian states could delay project connectivity and power evacuation, urging states to proactively plan and commission intrastate transmission networks aligned with renewable project timelines and national transmission planning. Beyond transmission upgrades, distribution infrastructure—modern lines, substations and transformers—must be strengthened to improve renewable evacuation, reduce congestion and losses, and support distributed solar integration.
Strengthening Ancillary Service Markets
A more responsive power system, according to Puri, will also require stronger ancillary service markets. Expanding mechanisms for ramping reserves, frequency response, and fast‑response balancing will help manage renewable variability and enable higher levels of renewable penetration.
Global Context and Long‑Term Objective
Puri placed India’s experience within a broader global shift, noting that regions such as the European Union recognize that expanding renewable capacity must be accompanied by investments in storage, balancing markets and demand‑side flexibility. For India, the long‑term objective is to balance renewable expansion, system responsiveness, and dependable power delivery. The next phase of the energy transition will depend on the ability to store clean power and deliver it where and when needed, with a combination of clean generation, energy storage, modern grid infrastructure and efficient market mechanisms forming the core of that transition.
About the Speaker and Company
Ratul Puri is the Chairman of Hindustan Power, an integrated power generation company with a strong presence in renewable and transitional energy assets. Over the years, he has been involved in developing large‑scale energy infrastructure projects that support India’s growing power requirements and its transition toward cleaner energy sources. Hindustan Power continues to invest in energy infrastructure that supports reliability, sustainability and long‑term value creation within India’s evolving power sector.
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