PM-DHARA: India's ₹1.86 lakh crore push to carry renewable power to the grid

India's Union Cabinet has approved the PM-DHARA scheme (Prime Minister — Developing Harmonised and Accelerated Renewable-energy Access), a ₹1,86,405 crore programme to build the transmission and storage infrastructure that India's renewable generation targets depend on.

What the scheme funds

• New transmission lines — greenfield lines awarded through competitive bidding to private entities.
• Upgrades to existing infrastructure — lines, substations and towers, carried out by state transmission utilities on a cost-plus basis, with about ₹1.36 lakh crore directed to state transmission infrastructure.
• Battery energy storage — around ₹50,000 crore towards battery energy storage systems, targeting 50 GWh of storage to absorb surplus renewable generation and release it when output drops.

The headline targets: 135 GW of renewable energy transmission capacity and 50 GWh of battery storage, with completion scheduled by 2033. The Centre contributes about ₹54,000 crore and will waive inter-state transmission charges. Implementation runs through state transmission utilities with MNRE, the Ministry of Power, POWERGRID and state governments.

Why it matters for tender teams

A programme of this size translates into a sustained pipeline of tenders: transmission packages, substation works, BESS supply and installation, and the balance of plant around them — civil works, control and protection, and grid connection equipment. Competitive bidding for greenfield lines means private bidders will be preparing large, multi-disciplinary tender responses against state utility specifications and Indian standards.

For suppliers of generation and storage equipment, the practical consequence is more tenders, larger document packs, and compliance requirements that span central and state frameworks. Teams that can assess compliance quickly and respond consistently will be able to bid on more of this pipeline.