India Positive: Week of Jan 05 2026

India's 1st Hydrogen powered train, 10x Battery Storage, 50 GWs of carbon-free energy added in a year, 3 new Ramsar sites, 4 semiconductor factories going live, and much more!

Jan 11, 2026

Energy & Green Transition

India Added 50 GW of Renewable Energy in 2025

India concluded 2025 with a landmark 50 GW renewable energy capacity addition, backed by investments totaling ₹2 lakh crore (approximately $24 billion USD). Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi announced that 45 GW was added between January and November 2025, with 35 GW coming from solar installations alone—demonstrating the dominance of solar technology in India’s energy transition. This achievement sustains India’s trajectory toward its 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity target by 2030, with the nation now hosting a combined 262 GW non-fossil fuel capacity (including 254 GW from renewables).

a person working on a solar panel — Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

POWERGRID Secures 3 GW Transmission Integration Projects in Karnataka

The Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) won critical auctions to establish interstate transmission systems (ISTS) for integrating 250 MW of renewable capacity at Davanagere and 2.75 GW at Bellary in Karnataka. This transmission infrastructure development is essential for evacuating power from India’s identified 17 GW renewable potential in the state. The project underscores India’s focus on strengthening grid infrastructure to support rapid renewable capacity additions.

Battery Energy Storage Capacity Set to Surge Tenfold in 2026

India’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) capacity is projected to increase nearly tenfold to approximately 5 GWh in 2026, compared to 507 MWh in 2025. This dramatic acceleration reflects years of tendering transitioning into active project execution. A critical milestone will arrive in March 2026 when Adani commissions a 1,126 MW/3,530 MWh BESS project in Gujarat—among the world’s largest single-location battery storage installations. Additionally, Rajasthan will float tenders for India’s largest solar-plus-BESS project at Pugal Solar Park in January 2026, backed by government viability gap funding of ₹5,400 crore for 30 GWh of standalone BESS projects. The integration of energy storage with solar installations is critical for grid stability and renewable curtailment reduction.

Technology & Semiconductors

Four Indian Semiconductor Plants Begin Commercial Production

Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that four semiconductor manufacturing units will commence commercial production in 2026: Kaynes Semicon, CG Power, Micron Technology, and Tata Electronics.

Kaynes and CG Semi, which began pilot production in 2025, will transition to large-scale commercial manufacturing first.
Micron, having recently initiated pilot production, will follow in February 2026.
The Tata plant in Assam will commence pilot production mid-year and transition to commercial production by December 2026.

This represents the culmination of India’s ₹76,000 crore Semiconductor Mission investment, approved in 2021. All four facilities are expected to supply both domestic manufacturers and export to global markets, signaling India’s emergence as a critical node in the global semiconductor supply chain.

a close-up of a computer — Photo by Maxence Pira on Unsplash

India Targets Top-Four Semiconductor Position by 2032

Minister Vaishnaw declared that India will be “among the top four semiconductor manufacturing nations by 2032 and become the best by 2035,” driven by the country’s talent base and rapidly escalating manufacturing capacity. The government has approved 10 major semiconductor projects across six states, including 2 fabs and 8 chip assembly, test, and packaging facilities, with total investments reaching ₹1.6 lakh crore.

Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) Expansion

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology approved 22 new projects valued at ₹41,863 crore under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), representing a significant expansion of India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem. These projects span component fabrication, assembly, and packaging across multiple states, strengthening India’s push toward “Make in India” electronics production.

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Technology & Digitalization: AI Innovation

Prime Minister Chairs Roundtable with Indian AI Startups

On January 7, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a strategic roundtable with 12 Indian AI startups selected under the Foundation Model Pillar, ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (scheduled February 15-20). The startups presented cutting-edge work across diverse domains: Indian language foundation models, 3D generative content for e-commerce, engineering simulations, healthcare diagnostics, medical research, and personalized content creation.

Environment & Conservation

All-India Tiger Estimation 2026 Commences

The first phase of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2026 (AITE-26) commenced on January 6 in the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This large-scale wildlife census employs standardized scientific methods to assess tiger populations and associated biodiversity across India.

brown and black tiger near body of water — Photo by Ratanjot Singh on Unsplash

Project Cheetah: Three Cubs Undergoing Incubation Periods

India’s flagship Project Cheetah is entering a consolidation phase with at least three suspected pregnancies currently undergoing incubation periods at Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh). Conservation teams are employing minimal-intervention protocols, tracking behavioral indicators such as reduced movement and increased sensitivity to disturbance.

Madhya Pradesh-Assam Wildlife Translocation Agreement

In a landmark inter-state wildlife conservation initiative, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma finalized a historic agreement for animal exchanges. Over the next three years, 50 wild buffaloes, a pair of rhinos, and three cobras will be translocated from Assam to Madhya Pradesh. The wild buffalo reintroduction to Kanha Tiger Reserve marks the first in over a century, as this endangered species (Bubalus arnee, with fewer than 4,000 globally) became locally extinct in Madhya Pradesh long ago. This conservation strategy leverages Assam’s significant populations in Kaziranga and Manas National Parks to restore species diversity in other landscapes, reflecting India’s sophisticated meta-population management approach.

India’s Ramsar Wetlands Expand to 96 Sites

India’s Ramsar site count reached 96 wetlands following the designation of Siliserh Lake (Alwar, Rajasthan) and Kopra Reservoir (Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) as wetlands of international importance.

These 96 sites collectively cover 13,60,805.63 hectares and position India as the third globally and first in Asia in Ramsar site count. Siliserh Lake, a historic irrigation reservoir in Rajasthan, and Kopra Reservoir, a man-made freshwater storage in Chhattisgarh that has developed hybrid natural-anthropogenic wetland characteristics, exemplify India’s diverse wetland ecosystems supporting biodiversity, water security, and flood regulation. These additions underscore India’s commitment to wetland conservation under the Ramsar Convention, protecting critical habitat for migratory birds, fisheries, and regional water security.

Green Mobility & Transport Innovation

India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Enters Final Commissioning Phase

Haryana is set to launch India’s first hydrogen-powered train on the Jind-Sonipat route (89 km) starting January 26, 2026, with the project currently in final commissioning phase. The locomotive, manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, can accommodate 2,638 passengers, making it one of the world’s longest hydrogen trains.

The dedicated green hydrogen production facility in Jind uses electrolysis to extract hydrogen from water and maintains a storage capacity of 3 tonnes—currently the largest on-ground hydrogen facility in India. A stable 11 kV power supply has been guaranteed by the state to ensure uninterrupted hydrogen production. By replacing diesel with hydrogen fuel cells, the train will emit only water vapor and heat, positioning India alongside Germany and China as a leader in zero-emission rail technology.

The pilot aligns with Indian Railways’ “Hydrogen for Heritage” initiative, designed to decarbonize the non-electrified rail network by 2030.

Infrastructure & Development

₹17 Lakh Crore PPP Pipeline Announced for FY 2026-2028

India’s Finance Ministry announced a transformative three-year public-private partnership (PPP) project pipeline encompassing 852 projects with a total cost exceeding ₹17 lakh crore for implementation across fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028. This initiative targets critical infrastructure spanning roads, railways, power generation, airports, and urban services, designed to attract private capital participation and accelerate execution timelines.

PRAGATI Platform Demonstrates Impact at Scale

Under the Prime Minister’s centralized PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform, infrastructure projects worth ₹85 lakh crore have been accelerated, reflecting how technology-driven coordination and real-time monitoring can reshape India’s project implementation landscape. PRAGATI’s success illustrates the potential for systematic, data-backed approaches to project governance.

Quote of the Week

P.S. You might notice a second email from me this week. It’s the first entry in a new section called Shadow Portraits.
While India Positive is about the future we are building, Shadow Portraits is where I pause to acknowledge the beauty we have lost. It features poignant memorials and portraits of extinct species—starting with the remarkable Gastric-brooding frog.
I believe that to pursue the future responsibly, we must maintain a memory of the past. If you’d prefer to stick strictly to the tech and policy reports, you can easily toggle off the “Shadow Portraits” section in your Substack Account Settings.
I hope you’ll take a moment to meet the frog.

The Polymathic Pursuit

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