Desk note · industry · Power / renewables
Mint reported on 8 October 2026 that cancelled or re-tendered battery storage projects have reached about 24 GWh since 2018, while many new awards were bid below viable tariffs. Experts warn up to a third of awarded capacity may struggle to reach financial close.
On 8 October 2026, reporting highlighted strain in India’s battery energy storage pipeline. Battery systems hold solar and wind power for use later. The government wants them bundled into future renewable tenders. Yet the India Energy Storage Alliance counted about 24 gigawatt-hours of projects cancelled or sent back for rebidding since 2018. That is more than one-tenth of the central target of 208 GWh by 2030. NTPC terminated a Maharashtra storage contract in September after the contractor missed milestones. Other states have annulled or challenged large tenders when tariffs or technical rules shifted after bids closed.
Many developers bid very low tariffs, sometimes under ₹2 per kilowatt-hour, hoping battery prices would keep falling. Cell costs jumped after policy shifts in China during 2026. Viability gap funding awards also face stress when bidders underprice the work. Discoms and regulators want cheap storage, but banks need projects that can service debt. When contracts break, timelines slip and renewable firms must find other ways to balance the grid.
Households feel this through power reliability and industrial tariffs, not through a stock tip. If storage slips, solar and wind farms may waste more midday power or depend on costly backups. If you work in energy or infrastructure debt, watch financial closure rates on rebid tenders. Retendered projects are quoting closer to ₹2.35 per unit in some cases, which is a sign the market is repricing risk after the cancellation wave.
Telecom / IPO
On 22 October 2026, exchange data showed Jio Platforms’ ₹30,213 crore issue had drawn about ₹3.73 lakh crore of total bids by late evening on Day 2, with the retail portion oversubscribed and market commentators citing diverted cash from other listed stocks during the book build.
SEBI / market infrastructure
On 22 October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India proposed letting stock exchanges and depositories fund core-market and regulator-mandated initiatives without prior approval for each ticket, while keeping board oversight and financial safeguards and inviting comments until 12 November.
E-commerce / food delivery
On 22 October 2026, reporting said Flipkart is testing an internal food delivery product called Eat-in by Minutes with more than 8,000 employees in Bengaluru, using Ekart logistics as it prepares to compete with Zomato and Swiggy in meal delivery.
Digital trust / compliance
On 22 October 2026, eMudhra Ltd said its board will voluntarily withdraw from the global SSL/TLS certificate segment after a key-security incident on eight intermediate certificates, citing compliance cost and weak economics while stressing that other digital-trust services continue.
For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Verify with filings and a licensed adviser.