India: Renewables

The MNRE vide its advisory dated 21.08.2026 has advised Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (“REIAs”) to consider extension of Scheduled Commencement of Supply Date (“SCSD”) and Scheduled Commissioning Date (“SCD”) on account of Force Majeure event due to West Asia Situation.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 (Act No. 20 of 2026) (MMDR Amendment Act) received Presidential assent and was published in the Gazette of India on 17 August 2026, further amending the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).

India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched a call for proposals to accelerate concentrating solar thermal technology adoption in industrial heating, while the Central Electricity Authority has proposed mandatory co-located energy storage systems for ground-mounted solar and onshore wind projects. The regulatory landscape is also evolving across petroleum, shipping, and telecommunications sectors with significant amendments to existing frameworks.

The principal obstacle in the adoption of green hydrogen for reduction of carbon emissions has been commercial rather than technological, as industrial users seeking to transition must fund and operate a dedicated electrolyser plant for a term of fifteen years or more. The “Electrolyser as a Service” (EaaS) model addresses this constraint. Under the EaaS model, a technology provider (Service Provider) designs, finances, constructs, owns, operates and maintains an electrolytic hydrogen generation plant (Project) on a build-own-operate basis at the premises of the industrial user (Consumer).

MNRE by Office Memorandum dated 18.07.2026 notified an extended limited window for Net-Metering and Open Access renewable projects, for exemption from Approved List of Models and Manufacturers List-II (for solar PV cells) till 31.12.2026.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy by its office memorandum dated 14.07.2026 has issued a clarification with respect to the amendment to ‘Revised Guidelines for installation of prototype wind turbine models issued on 25.06.2026 (“Wind Turbine Model Guidelines”)’.

India’s infrastructure sector continues to attract unprecedented international attention. From renewable energy parks and airports to data centres, logistics corridors, urban mobility systems and green hydrogen projects, global institutional investors are increasingly viewing Indian infrastructure as a long-term strategic asset class rather than merely an emerging market opportunity.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (“CERC”), vide Notification dated 20.05.2026, has issued the Draft CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (“Draft GNA Regulations”) , amending the CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022 (“Principal GNA Regulations”).

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) considerations have moved far beyond corporate sustainability reports and boardroom policy discussions. Today, ESG has become deeply embedded in infrastructure financing, project valuation, regulatory approvals, investment due diligence, and long-term asset bankability across India.