Latest round-the-clock renewable energy bid sees tariff of Rs 5.25 per unit: Shri Santosh Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Odisha and Madhya Pradesh sign MoU to strengthen renewable energy cooperation
New Delhi, 7 August 2026: The latest round-the-clock renewable energy bid has discovered a competitive tariff of Rs 5.25 a unit. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) conducted the bidding. “We expected the price to be very high, but thanks to the competitive spirit among our developers, we discovered a rate of Rs 5.25 per unit for RE RTC,” said Shri Santosh Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, while addressing the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition (IECE) in New Delhi.
The latest round-the-clock renewable energy bid provides for 90 per cent assured power availability in each time block, with solar accounting for only 50 per cent of supply during the daytime. Shri Sarangi said the tariff demonstrates the growing competitiveness of renewable energy and the ability of developers to integrate solar, wind and storage technologies to provide reliable power.
Shri Sarangi said India has crossed 300 GW of renewable energy installations and is on course to achieve the Prime Minister’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. He attributed this progress to three key pillars policy certainty, domestic manufacturing and market-creation initiatives.
Highlighting India’s growing renewable energy manufacturing ecosystem, he said the country has more than 213 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity and over 32 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity, while around 85 per cent of wind energy manufacturing is indigenised. He also highlighted the rapid expansion of decentralised renewable energy, noting that PM Surya Ghar has crossed 50 lakh households and is progressing towards its target of one crore rooftop solar installations.
Turning to cross-border energy cooperation, he stressed that regional energy integration requires both physical infrastructure and compatible regulatory systems. “When we talk of cross-border energy trade, we are not talking merely of the hardware of putting wires, putting transformers, substations, or undersea cables; it is equally important to talk of the software relating to cross-border energy transmission,” he said.
He highlighted the potential of the One Sun, One World, One Grid vision to enable countries across different time zones to complement one another by sharing renewable energy. Shri Sarangi also highlighted India’s cooperation with neighbouring countries, including Bhutan, and said India remains committed to sharing its renewable energy experience across the region.
Hon. Anura Karunathilake, Minister of Energy, Government of Sri Lanka, highlighted his country’s growing renewable energy potential and said its Electricity Act provides for the facilitation and promotion of a national electricity market, with cross-border electricity trading becoming a realistic possibility as the market matures. Referring to the proposed India-Sri Lanka grid interconnection, he said, “The future of energy in our region should not simply be about creating electricity. It should be about creating a resilient, interconnected, and competitive regional electricity market that accelerates the clean energy transition, strengthens energy security, and promotes sustainable economic growth for all our nations.”
He further called for a regional approach beyond bilateral interconnections, noting that connecting solar and wind resources across countries with Bhutan’s hydropower could improve system reliability, reduce the need for costly national reserves and deliver more affordable electricity. He emphasised that thoughtful planning, sound regulations, mutual trust, and harmonised regulatory frameworks would be essential to building an integrated South Asian energy market. They were speaking during a session on ‘Beyond Borders: The Future of Shared Energy Systems’ on the second day of 7th CII IECE.
Addressing the session, Mr Karma P. Dorji, Director General, Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Bhutan, said South Asia’s diverse and complementary renewable resources, including hydropower in the Himalayas, solar across plains and deserts, and wind along the coasts, provide a strong basis for regional integration. “Energy is not just commodity; it is a foundation of development, resilience, and human progress,” he said, while stressing that interconnected systems would require common standards, stronger cybersecurity, real-time coordination and intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve grid stability and renewable integration.
Mr Dammu Ravi, Former Secretary, Economic Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, emphasised the urgency of strengthening regional energy cooperation amid global supply-chain disruptions and stressed the importance of regulatory alignment, investment and entrepreneurship in enabling cross-border energy trade. “The subject has become even more critical today, as the disruption of the energy supply chains is happening at a rapid pace, and also the choke points for the energy supplies around the world are at stress and tension levels. That actually has to wake up our own understanding of how to enhance the cooperation in this particular region,” he said. He added that “India model is eminently global” and could be replicated by countries around the world, allowing countries to learn from each other.
Odisha and Madhya Pradesh sign MoU to strengthen renewable energy cooperation
Emerging as a key highlight of the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition (IECE), the Governments of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU today to establish a knowledge partnership and promote cooperation in renewable energy, including sharing good practices and innovations.
The partnership will facilitate sharing of best practices between the two states, particularly in areas such as reactive power, with the aim of supporting replication of relevant innovations. Bhopal-based Centre for Mission of Energy Transition (CMET) will facilitate the knowledge sharing.