Finance

India’s Union Budget 2026–27 extends basic customs duty (BCD) exemptions on the import of capital goods used for lithium-ion cell production for battery energy storage systems (BESS), as well as capital goods required for processing critical minerals. It also removes the 7.5% BCD on sodium antimonate used in solar glass manufacturing.

IEEFA’s assessment finds that while most companies have announced net-zero or emission reduction targets, only a limited number link these goals to capital expenditure plans, revenue assumptions or changes in business strategy, making it difficult for investors and lenders to assess the feasibility of transition pathways.

Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR), Japan’s leading rating agency, has assigned Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) a long-term foreign currency credit rating of BBB+ with a Stable outlook, at par with India’s sovereign credit rating of BBB+.

As the country accelerates towards a greener future, the focus is rapidly shifting to financing the entire electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, spanning charging infrastructure, batteries, fleet operations, and clean energy integration. This transition marks the emergence of EV Financing 2.0: a more holistic approach that goes beyond point-of-sale lending to enable sustainable, scalable, and economically viable green mobility.

India must mobilise around $145 billion in annual energy investment to sustain economic growth while pushing its net-zero ambitions. The bulk of this capital will be directed toward scaling up renewable power generation, grid infrastructure modernization, and energy storage, according to Wood Mackenzie.

India’s first and largest publicly listed power sector Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), IndiGrid, has successfully raised INR 1,500 crore through an institutional placement (IP). The placement was oversubscribed by around two times and saw strong participation from both domestic and global institutional investors.

Despite strong industry interest, India’s Advanced Chemistry Cell Production Linked Incentive (ACC PLI) scheme, launched in October 2021, is yet to translate policy ambition into realised capacity. As of October 2025, only 2.8% (1.4 GWh) of the targeted 50 GWh capacity has been commissioned within the stipulated timeline, entirely by Ola Electric—according to a new report by JMK Research and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

While global solar corporate funding in 2025 fell to the lowest level recorded since 2020, deal count rose to its highest level since 2017. Mercom Capital Group says investors favored smaller, lower-risk, execution-ready projects last year amid policy uncertainty, trade pressures and higher financing costs.

Aerem Solutions, an end-to-end platform for distributed solar, has raised $15 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC).

United Solar Holding has secured more than $900 million to complete the financing required for its 100,000 MT polysilicon manufacturing facility in Oman. Production is expected to begin during the first quarter of this year.