Telangana’s clean energy transition will require more than capacity addition. It will require innovation that can be tested, demonstrated and scaled. Srinivas Cherla, Director of Sustainability at Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), in an exclusive interaction with Abhineet Kumar of Elets News Network, outlines how the organisation is supporting battery technologies, smart-grid solutions, climate-tech startups, geothermal energy and demand-side management to accelerate the development of practical and scalable clean energy solutions. Edited excerpts: 

Telangana’s energy storage capacity is projected to grow from 1,600 MW today to 7,917 MW by FY35. How is the Sustainability Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad supporting research and pilot projects in battery storage and grid-scale storage technologies to help meet this target?

RICH is working with research institutions to conceptualise innovative pilot projects aimed at developing indigenous capabilities in Li-ion and Na-ion battery manufacturing. In parallel, we are working on developing intelligent power converters that can operate optimally with hybrid energy storage systems comprising a mix of lead-acid, Li-ion, Na-ion and flow batteries, and demonstrating these technologies through real-world pilot projects.

In the real world, however, there is no single solution that can address challenges such as energy storage. We are therefore also supporting startups working on V2G technologies, flow cells and fuel cells. All these solutions will have a role to play in the broader energy storage landscape and in enabling better integration of renewable energy.

With India needing an estimated $7 trillion in investment to reach net zero by 2070, what role can research and innovation circles like yours play in de-risking early-stage cleantech ideas and making them more attractive to investors and financiers?

At RICH, we administer the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, through which we provide grants and CCD funds to climate-tech startups at the idea or MVP stage. We also leverage our strong industry networks to provide market opportunities for these startups. Additionally, we engage startups in innovation projects that we manage in areas aligned with national missions such as the Smart Grids Mission, Green Hydrogen Mission and Waste to Wealth Mission.

Selected promising startups that graduate from our programmes also directly qualify for catalytic grants from climate funds that have collaborated with RICH. This helps de-risk these startups and makes them more attractive to investors, who typically enter at a later stage.

Telangana has a geothermal pilot of just 20 kW today, with plans to scale to 1,000 MW by FY30. Is this an area your organisation is tracking or researching, and what do you see as the biggest scientific or infrastructural barriers to scaling geothermal energy in the region?

The coal-mining belt across Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam districts of Telangana, including Singareni, Kothagudem and Manuguru, is well endowed with geothermal energy resources. Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has taken the lead in exploiting this energy source and has already commissioned a 20 kW pilot geothermal power plant in the Manuguru area.

Some of the key barriers to the adoption of geothermal energy are:

• High upfront costs: Thermal reserves have been located at depths of 1,000–3,000 metres in the region. Deep drilling and setting up specialised infrastructure at such depths require significant capital investment.
• Financial and exploration risks: The uncertainty involved in locating commercially viable, high-temperature reservoirs increases project risk and can deter major private-sector investments.
• Technology gaps: India lacks widespread local manufacturing capabilities and specialised expertise for advanced geothermal reservoir management and deep drilling.

Urban energy consumption and demand-side efficiency are pressing challenges for fast-growing cities. What applied research is your organisation conducting on energy usage patterns in Hyderabad, and how are these insights being shared with policymakers or municipal bodies?

RICH is actively working on multiple projects in this area. We recently concluded a project under the Indo-Norwegian Taskforce on Energy, where we demonstrated the techno-economic feasibility of Automated Demand Response as an effective tool that utilities can use for demand-side energy management. The project was implemented with three utility companies in the Delhi region.

We successfully demonstrated how flexible energy assets, including HVAC systems, heating systems and EV fleet charging, can be managed to reduce local grid congestion. When scaled at the utility level, this approach can help reduce peak demand, lower peak power procurement costs and avoid capital investments required for grid capacity enhancements.

We are currently preparing a report for submission to regulators, through which we will share our findings for regulatory consideration and potential inclusion in upcoming policies.

Also Read: Telangana Powering India’s Clean Energy Future

With a ₹50 crore incubation fund earmarked for energy startups in Telangana, how is the Sustainability Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad working with such funds, or with incubators and investors, to translate research breakthroughs into commercially viable, scalable energy solutions?

While we have not yet leveraged the proposed funds earmarked for innovation under the Clean and Green Energy Policy, we have been working to leverage state funds to promote clean-tech adoption among MSMEs through the RAMP: Greening of MSME initiative. We have identified more than 100 industry problem statements through consultations with industry stakeholders and are conducting a series of ECO MSME Innovation Challenges as part of the programme.

The ultimate objective is to encourage the co-development of MSME-centric solutions by startups and innovators and demonstrate these innovations in real-world settings.

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