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India discovered a record-low tariff of ₹5.25 per unit in round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy bidding on 7 August 2026.
The result was announced in New Delhi at the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India conducted a 1,000 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy auction under the SECI-FDRE-RTC-V tender.
Five developers won capacity at ₹5.25 per kilowatt-hour, while two others secured additional capacity at ₹5.26 per unit.
Tender conditions required a minimum of 90% assured power delivery in every time block during peak hours.
Ordinary solar power is available only during sunlight hours and wind output varies with weather, so neither can be relied on to meet demand at a chosen moment. Round-the-clock renewable energy is power contracted for continuous availability across all time blocks of the day, achieved by combining solar generation, wind generation and energy storage in a single project. 'Firm and dispatchable' describes the same idea from the buyer's side: firm means the supply is assured, dispatchable means it can be called upon when needed rather than taken whenever it happens to be generated. This is why RTC tariffs are higher than plain solar tariffs — the developer is selling reliability, not just electricity.
Simple Analogy: Buying plain solar power is like agreeing to eat only when the baker happens to have bread. An RTC contract is a standing order: bread on your table at any hour you ask, which naturally costs more per loaf.
Central public sector enterprise that conducts renewable energy auctions and acts as an intermediary for power purchase agreements
Nodal ministry for renewable energy policy, which framed the tender conditions for assured delivery
Industry association that hosted the International Energy Conference and Exhibition where the result was announced
GS Paper 3 > Infrastructure — energy; Environment — renewable energy and climate commitments
General Awareness > Energy sector and government bodies
General Awareness > Infrastructure financing and energy sector
General Awareness > Energy and infrastructure
Renewable power contracted for continuous availability across all time blocks, achieved by combining solar, wind and storage.
Renewable supply that is assured in quantity and can be called upon when required, rather than being taken as and when generated.
A defined slot of the day used in power scheduling and settlement, against which delivery obligations are measured.
The process by which the price of power is determined through competitive bidding rather than administrative fixing.