Tata Power

July 30 (Reuters) - REC Ltd RECM.NS:

• REC - UNIT TRANSFERS RYAPTE POWER TRANSMISSION SHARES WORTH 108.7 MILLION RUPEES TO TATA POWER

Source text: ID:nNSE6x5t7v

Further company coverage: RECM.NS

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** Shares of Tata Power TTPW.NS rise 1.2% to 382 rupees

** Power generation firm's Q1 profit rises 11% Y/Y, aided by higher operating earnings and growth in its transmission and distribution segment

** Co eyes first solar exports to Europe as EU seeks to diversify supply chain beyond Chinese manufacturers

** Ambit Capital says strength in co's regulated generation and Mundra operations offset losses in third-party EPC and Tata Projects

** Ambit expects co to be one of the relative outperformers this earnings season

** Stock rated "buy" on avg; median PT 430 rupees - data compiled by LSEG

** Stock down 0.5% YTD

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

Tata Power reported a consolidated net profit of ₹1,401 crore for the June quarter, up 11% from a year earlier, while revenue rose 8% to ₹18,898 crore. The company also disclosed that it had secured a letter of intent from REC Power Development & Consultancy for an intra-state transmission project in Karnataka. The project involves building 491 circuit kilometres of transmission lines at an estimated cost of over ₹4,000 crore, taking Tata Power's total transmission portfolio to 7,894 ckm. The LOI marks a significant expansion of the company's regulated transmission business.

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July 27 (Reuters) - India's Tata Power TTPW.NS reported an 11% rise in first-quarter profit on Monday, aided by higher operating earnings and growth in its transmission and distribution segment.

Consolidated net profit for the Tata Group firm rose to 11.76 billion rupees ($122.61 million) during the quarter from 10.6 billion rupees a year ago.

Here are some key details:

• Revenue from operations rose 5.6% to 190.51 billion rupees, while expenses rose 8.3% to 177 billion rupees

• The company's EBITDA rose 8% year-on-year

• Thermal and hydro segment's revenue rose 7.2%

• Its transmission and distribution segment revenue rose 13.5%, benefitting from the commissioning of additional assets at its Mumbai transmission network.

• The company said it was on track to add 2.5 gigawatts of renewable capacity in fiscal year 2027, with 87% of its renewable project pipeline tied to long-term power-purchase agreements.

($1 = 95.9100 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar and Mridula Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

(([email protected];))

By Sethuraman N R

NEW DELHI, July 22 (Reuters) - India said on Wednesday it has advanced plans for indigenous small modular reactors, and is aiming to bring at least five into operation by 2033 as the country moves towards lower dependency on fossil-based power generation.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is developing a 220-megawatt Bharat Small Modular Reactor, a 55-MW reactor and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed to produce hydrogen.

The Atomic Energy Commission had approved Tarapur in Maharashtra as the site for both the 220 MW and 55 MW projects, an atomic energy department minister Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the country's parliament.

India, which is keen to expand its use of clean energy, last year opened its nuclear generation sector to domestic and foreign firms in the private sector. It aims to expand nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047 from about 8.8 GW at present.

India plans to increase its installed nuclear capacity to about 22 GW by 2031-32, with small reactors expected to play a role in the planned expansion, the minister said.

Small modular reactors are being developed by several countries, including the U.S., Russia and South Korea, and are seen as a viable option for supply of clean energy to industries.

State-run Nuclear Power Corp of India, currently India's sole operator of nuclear plants, aims to have 50 GW of capacity while the country's top coal plant operator NTPC NTPC.NS, also state-run, is aiming for 30 GW of nuclear capacity.

Conglomerates such as Adani Group and several other private companies including Tata Power TTPW.NS and Reliance Industries RELI.NS are looking at investing in the sector.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR;
Editing by Alison Williams)

(([email protected]; (+91 9945291420); Reuters Messaging: [email protected]))

NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - India's coal-fired power plants have sufficient coal stocks to run for about two weeks at higher operating rates, easing concerns about fuel shortages amid rising electricity demand and below-average monsoon rainfall.

• Coal stocks at power plants stood at 42.8 million tonnes as of July 12, enough for 14 days of operation at an 85% plant load factor, the power ministry said in a reply to parliament on Monday.

• Utilities are also getting sufficient coal supplies to meet their daily requirements, it added.

• India's peak power demand surged last week to nearly 270.1 gigawatts (GW), driven by higher cooling demand as an El Nino pattern contributed to weaker rainfall.

• India's peak power demand had reached 270.2 GW in May, and the government expects it to touch 280 GW this year due to the absence of stronger monsoon rains.

• Coal remains the backbone of India's power system despite the country's aggressive renewable energy expansion.

• Coal and lignite-fired plants accounted for 69.5% of electricity supplied during April-June and generated about 75% of power during non-solar peak-demand hours, according to the ministry.

• The government has intensified coordination among the coal, power and railway ministries to monitor supplies and prioritize coal transportation to power stations, the power ministry said.

• India added 9.47 GW of coal-fired generation capacity in 2025-26 and a further 2.26 GW between April and July, helping support record electricity demand, the government said.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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MUMBAI, July 13 (Reuters) - India's Tata Power TTPW.NS has accepted bids worth 15 billion rupees ($156.8 million) for bonds maturing in five years, three bankers said on Monday.

It will pay a coupon of 7.50%, and had invited commitment bids for the issue earlier in the day, they said.

Tata power did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.

Here is the list of deals reported so far on July 13:

*Size includes base plus greenshoe for some issues

($1 = 95.6400 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Khushi Malhotra and Dharamraj Dhutia; Editing by Varun H K)

(([email protected]m, [email protected]))

MUMBAI, July 10 (Reuters) - India's Tata Power Company TTPW.NS plans to raise 15 billion rupees ($157.26 million) through a sale of bonds maturing in five years, two merchant bankers said on Friday.

The company will pay an annual coupon of 7.50% on this issue and has invited bids on Monday, the said.

The company did not reply to a Reuters email seeking comment.

Here is the list of deals reported so far on July 10:

*Size includes base plus greenshoe for some issues

($1 = 95.3850 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Dharamraj Dhuti; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

(([email protected]))

July 3 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER RENEWABLE ENERGY LIMITED- COMMISSIONS 100.8 MW JEWALI WIND PROJECT IN MAHARASHTRA

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

June 25 (Reuters) - Suzlon Energy Ltd SUZL.NS:

• SUZLON ENERGY LTD - GETS EPC CONTRACT FOR 400 MW WIND ENERGY PROJECT

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: SUZL.NS

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Recasts and writes through with details on Adani's nuclear plans

By Sethuraman N R and Abinaya V

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, June 24 (Reuters) - Adani Group outlined its ambitions to be a major player in India's nuclear power on Wednesday, saying it intends to build as much as 10 gigawatts of capacity by 2035 which would likely make it the country's biggest private-sector operator.

"Our entry into nuclear energy through Adani Atomic Energy is another confident step towards securing India's long-term energy future," Gautam Adani, the conglomerate's chairman, said at the group's annual general meeting.

India, which is keen to expand its use of clean energy, last year opened its nuclear generation sector to domestic and foreign firms in the private sector. It aims to expand nuclear capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047 from about 8 gigawatts at present.

State-run Nuclear Power Corp of India, currently India's sole operator of nuclear plants, aims to have 50 GW of capacity while the country's top coal plant operator NTPC NTPC.NS, also state-run, is aiming for 30 GW of nuclear capacity.

Adani would likely be the third-biggest operator of nuclear plants. Several other private companies including Tata Power TTPW.NS and Reliance Industries RELI.NS are looking at investing in the sector.

The Adani group has identified land for the projects, but did not disclose details, including where the projects might be located.

Adani said the conglomerate's data centre business is on track to build 3 GW of capacity by 2030. The group is also ramping up its piped natural gas projects to meet India's rising demand for gas.

India's gas supplies have been disrupted due to global shipping constraints after the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran halted traffic through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Shares of Adani Enterprises ADEL.NS, the group's flagship firm, rose 2.3% on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR and Abinaya V; additional reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Edwina Gibbs)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

June 23 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY - EXTENDS VALIDITY OF DIRECTIONS FOR MUNDRA THERMAL PLANT TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

Source text: ID:nNSE3cgVmS

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

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June 19 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY - RECEIVES LOI FOR ACQUISITION OF RYAPTE POWER TRANSMISSION SPV

• TATA POWER COMPANY - ANNUAL TRANSMISSION CHARGES FOR PROJECT ARE 5.21 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: ID:nBSEbRvmTS

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];;))

By Aftab Ahmed and Saurabh Sharma

NEW DELHI, June 3 (Reuters) - India is likely to order more than $2 billion worth of military drones from domestic firms this year in its biggest such purchase, an industry body working with the government told Reuters, as global and regional conflicts boost demand.

The plans are in advanced stages with deliveries expected over 18 to 24 months, for a jump in value from recent government orders worth 30 billion rupees ($313 million) for tactical-class drones, said Smit Shah, president of the body.

"In the next phase, tactical drone procurements in India may exceed 200 billion rupees, or more than $2 billion," said Shah, whose Drone Federation India represents more than 550 companies and works closely with the government.

Shah said the new orders may follow a fast-track procurement route designed to meet urgent operational needs, with deliveries probably needed within 24 months.

The defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the likely purchase order, which Reuters is the first to report.

OFFENSIVE POTENTIAL OF LOW-COST DRONES IN SPOTLIGHT

India's push follows clashes with arch-rival Pakistan in May last year, when both sides deployed unmanned aerial vehicles at scale for the first time, highlighting the offensive potential of low-cost drones.

The conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have further sped adoption globally, driving down costs and reshaping battlefield tactics.

In March, the defence ministry approved a proposal worth about 2.38 trillion rupees ($24.85 billion) to buy transport aircraft, missiles system and "remotely piloted strike aircraft", or armed drones, without giving a spending breakdown.

"Drones are force multipliers on the modern battlefield," said Ramesh Chandra Padhi, an executive at IG Defence, a builder of advanced unmanned aerial and short-range missile systems.

"The Indian army is following emergency or fast-track procurement to expedite the induction of drones on a very large scale," the former senior army officer added.

DRONE INDUSTRY EXPLODES IN INDIA

India has more than 600 firms making drones and components, with more than 100 focused on defence applications.

The companies range from large players such as Adani Group, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Advanced Systems to startups like ideaForge, Newspace Research and Asteria Aerospace.

They work on building reconnaissance, logistics, loitering munition, precision-strike and critical component systems.

In recent years, India has overhauled a typically slow defence procurement process to allow faster acquisition of drones, particularly after clashes with Pakistan exposed gaps in surveillance and strike capabilities, Reuters has reported.

New Delhi has started relying on emergency procurement powers and swifter efforts under the Defence Acquisition Procedure, compressing timelines to months instead of years.

At the same time, in its push to boost domestic manufacturing, it is giving priority to systems made at home.

The government has also expanded schemes such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) to fund prototypes and enable smaller firms to win initial orders and help scale up production quicker.

At the same time, the defence ministry has opened more areas of procurement to startups and private firms, eased testing norms and pushed the armed forces to add systems through repeat and interim orders that let companies refine products rapidly.

The changes are reshaping India's drone industry, long dominated by small players, as better order visibility and policy support unlock funding and partnerships, DFI's Shah said.

Venture investment and tie-ups with larger defence firms have picked up, with companies ramping up manufacturing and research to fill rising military demand, he added.

($1=95.7750 rupees)

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Saurabh Sharma; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

(([email protected]; +91 99109 33884;))

** Shares of India's Tata Power Company TTPW.NS fall as much as 6.55% to 391 rupees in pre-open trade, largest intraday pct drop since June 2024

** TTPW last down 4.7%

** Integrated power company's fourth-quarter profit fell by 4.5% y/y, rev fell by 13% y/y

** Goldman Sachs ("sell") says miss primarily driven by lower renewables generation, reduced plant efficiency and weaker contributions from JVs

** J.P. Morgan ("neutral") says losses from key Mundra plant shutdown largely offset by strong growth in rooftop solar; distribution businesses in Odisha and Delhi

** TTPW on avg rated "buy" by 24 analysts; median PT is 434.50 rupees - LSEG data

** TTPW up 2.1% YTD

(Reporting by Abhirami G in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

By Sethuraman N R

NEW DELHI, May 12 (Reuters) - Tata Power TTPW.NS is stepping up work on its long‑term nuclear power plans, holding discussions with state‑run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) on small modular reactors, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

Here are more details:

• Tata Power is looking at coming up with two 220-megawatt small modular reactors, Chief Executive Praveer Sinha said in a post-earnings media call.

• Discussions with NPCIL are focused on technical and regulatory aspects.

• The company has identified land in three Indian states and begun soil testing, geotechnical studies and other groundwork for project reports.

• Tata Power is in discussion with Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha on setting up small modular reactors.

• Project reports could be ready in about six months, then Tata Power would seek regulatory approvals.

• Small modular reactors could be placed in industrial zones for captive use as well as supplying power to the grid. They have no space constraints unlike large 700 MW reactors.

• India aims to expand nuclear energy tenfold to 100 GW by 2047 as part of its 2070 net-zero ambitions, and drive greater private participation.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

(([email protected]; (+91 9945291420); Reuters Messaging: [email protected]/))

Repeats to additional subscribers, no changes to text

By Sarita Chaganti Singh

NEW DELHI, May 11 (Reuters) - India plans to reduce the size of exclusion zones around nuclear plants to free up significant amounts of land for reactor expansions, three officials familiar with the matter said, in a move to attract private investment that is likely to face backlash from opposition parties and the public.

At present, all nuclear reactors in India have a minimum buffer of about 1 km (0.62 miles) around reactors where no habitation or economic activity is allowed, a provision meant to keep radiation risks at a distance.

India's atomic energy regulator and the Department of Atomic Energy have approved an "in principle" plan to reduce these buffers, the three officials said. They requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media.

The changes are likely to be included in final rules that are due to be published in the next couple of months after the country opened its nuclear generation sector to private and foreign players last year. India aims to expand nuclear capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047 from about 8 gigawatts at present as part of its clean energy strategy.

The in-principle agreement between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and the Department of Atomic Energy to reduce the exclusion zones around nuclear plants to free up land for expansion as well as the size of the cuts have not been previously reported. The proposal was not part of a bill that was approved by parliament and it is expected to be set out in detailed rules that have yet to be released.

India's Department of Atomic Energy, its Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and the Prime Minister's Office did not respond to queries from Reuters.

The revisions to the buffer zones would cut the land needs by half for large reactors and by nearly two-thirds for small units, potentially allowing two to three times more capacity on the sites, according to an internal presentation reviewed by Reuters.

With smaller exclusion zones, a 10-reactor nuclear complex with 700 megawatts of capacity each could be set up within less than 700 hectares, the presentation showed. India's existing nuclear plants typically use around 1,000 hectares of land.

Small modular reactors could also be placed in industrial zones for captive use, two of the officials said. And cutting exclusion zones would also allow existing plants to add new reactors more easily using shared infrastructure, the presentation said.

The change is aimed at easing land constraints, a key hurdle, as the private sector - including Tata Power TTPW.NS, Adani Power ADAN.NS and Reliance Industries RELI.NS - looks to invest in the sector.

The three officials said the exclusion zones are being reduced because of safer reactor technologies, in line with global norms followed by countries like the U.S. and France that do not fix exclusion distances.

Strict siting rules - including distance from human settlements and safety risks - along with lengthy land acquisition processes, often exceeding four to five years, make identifying new sites difficult.

The decision on exclusion zones, however, risks a backlash in a country where nuclear power has faced public opposition despite no major accident record.

For much of the public, nuclear power in India is closely associated with radiation risks and the exclusion zones serve as a measurable assurance that risk is kept at a distance.

Some Indian lawmakers, while debating the opening of the nuclear sector in parliament in December, said the reforms prioritised private investment over safety and flagged risks including radiation and nuclear waste. Opposition leaders said the legal amendments risked weakening nuclear safety safeguards by diluting liability protections, easing reactor siting rules and expanding private participation without stronger independent oversight.

The bill was cleared by parliament despite the safety concerns raised by opposition lawmakers during the debate.

"The reduction is a meaningful shift that has been under discussion for nearly 18 months," said R. Srikanth, the engineering dean at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, a research institute. "Data from existing plants show that radiation levels around them are significantly lower than natural background levels in parts of coastal Kerala and Tamil Nadu."

"Unfortunately, good news of the Indian nuclear power has been kept hidden from the public," he said. "We need to overcome this all-pervasive sense of secrecy around civilian nuclear power plants."

(Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

(([email protected];))

May 8 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD- CO, BHUTAN’S DRUK GREEN POWER CORPORATION IDENTIFY 404 MW NYERA AMARI I II INTEGRATED HYDROPOWER PROJECT FOR COLLABORATION

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD- CO DGPC TO JOINTLY DEVELOP 500 MW SOLAR PV PROJECTS IN BHUTAN

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

May 5 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY - THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN, THE WORLD BANK SIGN FINANCING AGREEMENTS FOR DORJILUNG HYDROELECTRIC POWER PROJECT

• TATA POWER COMPANY - BHUTAN AND WORLD BANK SIGN $515 MILLION FINANCING FOR 1,125 MW DORJILUNG HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

April 30 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD- UNIT HAS APPROVED ADOPTION OF A NEW LINE OF BUSINESS - PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) INGOT AND WAFER MANUFACTURING

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD - ESTIMATED AMOUNT TO BE INVESTED 65 BILLION RUPEES

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

April 23 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD - INCORPORATES WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY TP URJA LIMITED

Source text: ID:nBSE2PsThN

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

April 9 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• COLLABORATES WITH DATABRICKS TO BUILD DATA AND AI PLATFORM

Source text: ID:nBSE5c26tv

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

April 1 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• TATA POWER COMPANY LTD - RESUMED ITS OPERATIONS AT MUNDRA PLANT WITH AN INSTALLED CAPACITY OF 4150 MW

Source text: ID:nnAZN4SOJPC

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

By Sethuraman N R

NEW DELHI, March 30 (Reuters) - India is accelerating clearances for commissioning of wind power plants and battery energy storage systems as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has led to a gas shortfall, the country's junior power minister said on Monday.

Although gas accounts for only around 2% of India's total power generation, the South Asian country uses about 8 gigawatt (GW) of gas power during peak-demand periods or heatwaves.

"Presently, there are challenges in respect of availability and price volatility of natural gas due to the Middle East crisis. However, the generators are exploring alternate sources," junior power minister Shripad Naik said in the country's parliament.

The country is also closely monitoring the progress of coal and hydro plants, which are under construction, targeted to be commissioned by June 2026, he said.

The system is adequately positioned to meet summer demand, compensating for reduced gas-based generation, Naik said.

The South Asian nation has already directed Tata Power's TTPW.NS 4-gigawatt imported-coal plant in the western state of Gujarat to run at full capacity from April 1 to June 30.

Reuters had earlier reported that India will likely lean more on its coal capacity to meet peak power demand this summer and has asked its coal plants to run at maximum capacity and avoid planned outages.

India relies on coal power for nearly 75% of its power generation.

India has also encouraged its industries to produce their own power through their captive generation plants, the minister said, a move that could reduce industrial power consumption.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR
Editing by Keith Weir)

(([email protected]; (+91 9945291420); Reuters Messaging: [email protected]/))

March 25 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• COMPLETES ALL EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES UNDER SEUPPTCL

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

India File is published every Tuesday. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.

March 24 - By Nidhi C Sai, Editor Online Production, with global Reuters staff

India is bracing for a torrid summer just as the Middle East conflict upends global fuel flows, forcing New Delhi to try every trick in the book to meet peak demand for electricity. That includes accelerating coal power generation, bringing wind power projects to the grid, and speeding up completion of battery energy storage projects.

But with coal producing as much as 75% of its electricity, how India manages the resource will largely determine whether blackouts will be the norm or the exception over the next few months. After cooking gas, will a paucity of power be the next big disrupting factor in the lives of millions of Indians? That’s our focus this week.

And, India's proposal to preload national ID app Aadhaar on smartphones faces pushback. Scroll down for more on that.

THIS WEEK IN ASIA

Japan's core inflation slows below BOJ target, complicates rate communication

China pledges more balanced trade and further opening of the economy after record surplus

Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens South

Australia, EU seal long-awaited trade deal amid global trade tensions

Vietnam Communist Party meets, with new state leaders set to be nominated

LOVE AFFAIR WITH COAL REKINDLED

A hotter-than-normal summer beckons, with the Indian meteorological service predicting an above-average number of heatwave days in April-June this year. Power demand is expected to touch a record 270 gigawatts during the season, government estimates show.

While the summer months would even otherwise stretch the country’s power system during peak demand, what has made the situation acute this year is the Middle East conflict, which has squeezed gas supplies. While gas accounts for only around 2% of its total power generation, India uses about 8 GW of gas power during peak-demand periods or heat waves.

That has sent New Delhi and states scrambling to shore up coal-fired power, which the South Asian nation is trying to reduce over the longer term as it meets its decarbonisation commitments.

The western state of Gujarat set the ball rolling by approving last week a revised power supply pact with Tata Power TTPW.NS and clearing the way for the company to resume long-term supply from its 4 GW Mundra power plant. Built to run on imported coal, the plant has sat idle for months as government compensation rules expired.

The central government has now mandated the Mundra power plant to run at full capacity from April 1 to June 30 and could extend the directive to other plants running on imported coal depending on the demand.

India is the world's second-largest producer and consumer of coal. It has 210 million tons of coal stock, enough for 88 days of consumption, and the government has instructed coal-based utilities to avoid outages, bring units back from maintenance and be ready to run flat-out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India has adequate coal supplies to meet rising electricity demand despite energy disruptions triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Gas is the weak link. India has invoked emergency clauses to divert scarce gas to households and fertiliser plants.

Read our last India File edition which looks at the struggle by households and businesses to adapt to the cooking gas supply crunch.

Gas supplies from Qatar and Abu Dhabi have been hit by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, forcing suppliers to declare force majeure and freezing India's summer liquefied natural gas (LNG) tenders. And top utility NTPC NTPC.NS says it cannot offer gas-fired generation during April-June.

The Middle East conflict has forced Asian utilities from Bangladesh to Japan to switch back to coal as LNG prices double and shipments through the Strait of Hormuz stall.

OPTIMISM ON BATTERY POWER

Longer term, India's National Generation Adequacy Plan forecasts a quadrupling of solar and tripling of wind by 2035-36, pushing non-fossil capacity to 786 GW and reducing coal’s share of generation to below 50%.

That transition assumes sharp growth in storage, with pumped hydro expected to surge 13-fold and battery storage to hit 80 GW by 2035-36 from 0.27 GW currently.

The growth potential is already drawing heavyweight interest. Tesla TSLA.O has begun recruiting for its India energy-storage business, joining the Reliance and Adani groups in building utility-scale storage.

The government is also working on speeding up completion of battery energy-storage projects to meet demand in summer evenings, when solar generation fades but cooling demand from households remains high.

"About 2.5 gigawatt hours of battery storage is already under commissioning, and we hope that gets commissioned very fast," Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal told Reuters.

India’s all-fuels-on-deck mobilisation - coal at maximum output, renewables eased into the grid, and storage accelerated - is its first stress test of what a power system looks like when hit by the double whammy of climate and geopolitical volatility.

What does a truly secure power system look like for India? Write to me at [email protected]

MARKET MATTERS

Foreign selling in Indian equities surged in early March, with financial stocks leading the heaviest fortnightly outflows in 17 months and dragging the Nifty 50 .NSEI to its worst two-week stretch since the COVID-19 market rout of March 2020.

Read this report by Reuters journalist Bharath Rajeswaran.

THIS WEEK'S MUST READ

India’s government privately proposed that smartphone makers such as Apple AAPL.O, Samsung 005930.KS and Google consider pre-installing the Aadhaar identification app on devices to expand access, but the move faced strong pushback from industry groups citing security, cost and production concerns.

Companies argued mandatory preloads would require separate manufacturing lines and offer limited public benefit, highlighting growing tensions between New Delhi and tech firms over government-backed apps on smartphones.

Read this exclusive report by Reuters journalists Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil.

(Reporting by Nidhi C Sai; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(([email protected]; +91 70456 55251))

March 23 (Reuters) -

• INDIA MANDATES TATA POWER'S IMPORTED COAL BASED POWER PLANT IN GUJARAT TO RUN AT FULL CAPACITY FROM APRIL-JUNE - GOVERNMENT ORDER

(([email protected];))

March 20 (Reuters) - Tata Power Company Ltd TTPW.NS:

• INDIA'S GUJARAT GOVERNMENT APPROVES SIGNING OF POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN STATE UTILITY, TATA POWER FOR MUNDRA COAL POWER PLANT - DOC

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TTPW.NS

(([email protected];))

By Sethuraman N R

NEW DELHI, March 19 (Reuters) - India is weighing the use of an emergency clause that would force coal power plants that run on imported coal to maximise output ahead of the summer season, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has hit gas supplies, three industry sources said.

The country expects peak power demand to touch 270 gigawatts during the summer, India's federal power minister Manohar Lal Khattar said at an industry event on Thursday.

The power ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comments.

India has power plants built to run on imported coal that could generate nearly 17 gigawatts, located in the coastal areas of the country.

It is expensive to generate power using imported coal compared with cheaper domestic coal. Under the emergency provision, a government‑appointed panel will set the rate at which power will be purchased from the plants, based on the cost of the imported coal.

Tata Power's TTPW.NS 4 GW imported coal-fired plant in Mundra, Gujarat, has not operated for the past six months after the government last year withdrew the emergency clause that compensates companies for generating power using expensive imported coal.

Reuters reported early this month that India will likely lean more on its coal capacity to meet peak power demand this summer as LNG supplies tighten due to the Mideast crisis.

The gas crisis and the absence of 4 GW of coal capacity from Tata Power's coal plant have led the government to explore the option to run all coal plants including the imported coal plants at maximum capacity, the sources said.

Meanwhile, India has invoked emergency provisions, reprioritising natural gas supplies to key sectors such as households and fertiliser plants, leaving gas-based power plants with fewer options.

The gas-based power plants, which are generally idle, are used when the country sees sudden surge in power demand.

The power ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comments.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR
Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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NEW DELHI, March 18 (Reuters) - India is proposing that clean energy firms use only locally made solar ingots and wafers from June 2028, the country's renewable energy ministry said on Wednesday, in a move aimed at curbing Chinese imports.

With this, the South Asian country is looking to ensure the usage of domestically made components across the entire solar panel manufacturing chain.

India currently has a manufacturing capacity of about 2 gigawatt (GW) for ingots and wafers.

Companies including Waaree Energies WAAN.NS, Tata Power TTPW.NS and Indosol Solar IDOS.NS have proposed billions of rupees of investments to build renewable manufacturing capacity as India aims to double its non-fossil fuel-based power capacity to 500 GW by 2030.

The government has already mandated the usage of locally assembled solar panels in state-run projects even though components like cells, wafers, ingots and polysilicon could be imported.

India currently relies entirely on China for its imports of cells, ingots, wafers and poly silicon for solar panels.

The country has also directed the use of domestically made solar cells from June 2026.

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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