The global energy transition is being shaped and often constrained by the resilience of global supply chains. From equipment and components to critical minerals, the components and systems that power clean energy are deeply interconnected across geographies. Manufacturing, processing, logistics, and technology development are distributed worldwide, making supply chains a decisive factor in how quickly and securely countries can transition their energy systems.
For India, this linkage is especially consequential. With an ambitious target of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030 and net-zero by 2070, success will depend not only on policy support and capital availability, but on the robustness, diversification, and reliability of the supply chains that underpin this transition. Today, a significant share of India’s requirements for solar modules, wind turbines, electrical equipment, batteries, and green hydrogen electrolyzers, are tied to global supply chains, with a high degree of dependence on China. In an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, this creates exposure, not just to price fluctuations and economic viability, but to supply assurance itself.
India’s Scale Challenge
Reaching the 500 GW target will require India to add roughly 50 GW of clean energy capacity every year for the rest of this decade. Sustaining this pace places unprecedented demands on global supply chains, logistics networks, and execution ecosystems. At present, an estimated 80% of the equipment and/or components required for India’s energy transition are sourced from China, a concentration that poses both strategic and operational risks as scale accelerates.
Policies such as PLI, ALMM, and other Domestic Content Requirements are an important start and have already catalyzed investment in downstream manufacturing. However, true resilience will require moving further upstream. India needs policies and incentives that support domestic investments in upstream integration across the value chain – not only for conventional materials such as silicon, aluminum, and glass, but also for rare earth elements and other critical minerals essential for solar modules, wind turbines, batteries, and electrolyzers. In parallel, diversifying supply chains across multiple countries and regions will be critical to reducing concentration risk while maintaining competitiveness.
Technology, R&D and the Next Layer of Resilience
Another defining challenge is the rapid evolution of energy transition technologies. Compared to traditional infrastructure, equipment today faces faster obsolescence, often within its operating lifecycle. Sustained investment in research and development is therefore essential – not only to remain globally competitive, but to ensure the long-term relevance of domestic manufacturing.
Beyond hardware, software and digital systems are becoming central to energy management. Domestic development of energy management platforms, smart grid technologies, and control systems can strengthen resilience while also addressing data security concerns in critical infrastructure.
Government support alone will not be sufficient; enabling public–private partnerships and industry–academia collaboration can accelerate innovation, shorten learning curves, and bridge the gap between research, manufacturing, and deployment.
Building Durable Systems, Not Just Capacity
On-ground execution of renewable energy projects in India has accelerated significantly in recent years. Capacity additions continue to grow, and the ecosystem has demonstrated its ability to deliver at scale. However, the development of a deep, diversified, and integrated supply chain has not yet kept pace with this ambition.
Closing this gap will be one of the most important enablers of India’s clean energy goals. Resilient supply chains are not about isolating from global systems, but about engaging with them strategically through diversification, domestic capability building, and long-term investment in technology and talent. As India enters the next phase of its energy transition, success will be measured not only by capacity numbers, but by how reliably and sustainably the underlying systems hold together.
