American energy storage leader Fluence Energy is turning its gaze to India, planning to set up a major manufacturing hub for battery systems right here. Backed by powerhouses AES and Siemens, the Virginia-based firm wants to make India not just a local production spot, but a key export base for battery components to Asia-Pacific and nearby markets.
In a recent interview, Fluence’s Senior Vice President and President of US Operations, John Zahurancik, revealed that the company has kicked off talks with Indian partners to localize the making of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) parts. With about 25% of the global market share, Fluence sees India’s booming renewable energy scene as the perfect fit to diversify its supply chain away from heavy reliance on places like China.
Fluence already has a foothold in India, with 270 MWh of installed battery capacity, mostly in hybrid green energy projects. They’ve been here since 2019, powering India’s first megawatt-scale grid-connected storage with a 10 MW/10 MWh setup for Tata Power in Delhi.
Now, they’re ramping up: the new hub will focus on building everything from inverters to controls, while batteries might still come imported at first. But as India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme kicks in drawing in giants like Reliance and Ola Electric Fluence aims to go full local soon.
“We have manufacturing in Vietnam, but India’s scale is exploding every year,” Zahurancik said. The move comes amid global supply chain shakes, with tariffs on Chinese batteries rising. For Fluence, India means quicker builds, lower costs, and a shot at exporting to neighbors. It’s also a nod to India’s push for green jobs and self-reliance think thousands of skilled roles in assembly, testing, and R&D.
Fluence’s Bengaluru office is already their biggest global hub, buzzing as the “Global Innovation Center” for faster storage tech. This manufacturing push could supercharge that, helping India store more solar and wind power to light up homes without blackouts.
Sources:
- LiveMint: US battery energy storage major Fluence eyes India for manufacturing hub
- Mercom India: Energy Storage Firm Fluence Plans to Set Up Manufacturing in India
- Business Standard: India crucial for innovation, quicker battery storage systems: Fluence exec
- Fluence Official Website: Home
- Fluence India LinkedIn: Company Profile
