Tata Power CEO says India is ready for an AI-driven power demand surge

Artificial intelligence runs on chips, but chips run on electricity. Tata Power’s chief executive says India has a plan for keeping the lights on as that demand climbs. On October 1, 2026, CEO Praveer Sinha said the country is positioned to absorb rising AI-driven electricity demand. The plan rests on adding energy storage and expanding renewable generation. Storage is the whole strategy Sinha’s pitch centers on two technologies: battery energy storage systems, known as BESS, and pumped storage projects, or PSP. India’s battery buildout is growing, though from a small base. The country added 0.5 GWh of BESS capacity in 2025, a 26% increase year over year. The target is far larger. Indian government estimates put the country’s storage requirement at roughly 410 GWh by FY32. Pumped storage is projected to cover about 42% of that need. What Tata Power is actually building Tata Power’s flagship storage effort is the Bhivpuri pumped storage project in Maharashtra, a 1,000 MW facility. Of that capacity, 324 MW has been contracted through the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The company is also planning a separate 1,800 MW pumped storage project at Shirwata. On the battery side, ...