0
By clicking the button, I accept the Terms of Use of the service and its Privacy Policy, as well as consent to the processing of personal data.
Don’t have an account? Signup
Powered by :
Suzlon Bets on Becoming India’s First OEM to Take RE Integration Risk Photograph: (AI)
Suzlon Energy’s ambitions under its newly unveiled “Suzlon 2.0” strategy extend well beyond manufacturing wind turbines. The company is positioning itself to become India’s first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) willing to take on what it describes as the biggest pain point in today’s renewable energy market—the integration risk of combining wind, solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) into a single project.
The strategy marks a significant departure from Suzlon’s traditional business model. Instead of remaining a wind turbine supplier and wind EPC company, the company wants to evolve into a “wind-first, full-stack renewable energy solutions company,” offering an integrated portfolio spanning wind, solar, storage, energy management systems (EMS), project development, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and long-term operations and maintenance (O&M).
At the heart of Suzlon’s strategy lies a problem that renewable project developers have long grappled with. Unlike wind projects, where a single OEM often provides turbines, EPC and long-term servicing, hybrid renewable projects typically require developers to coordinate multiple equipment suppliers—one for wind turbines, another for solar modules, another for battery storage, along with separate software providers for energy management. The responsibility for integrating these technologies and ensuring they perform as a single system largely rests with the developer.
Suzlon believes this model is no longer sustainable. Its Investor Day presentation lays out the challenge candidly. “No single OEM offers integrated solution (Wind + Solar + BESS) – we are forced to switch OEMs and carry the integration risk ourselves,” the company noted, describing the feedback it has received from customers.
Its proposed solution is equally direct. “One integrated stack. One technology partner. Built for India.” That statement perhaps best captures Suzlon’s attempt to differentiate itself from traditional wind turbine manufacturers.
The Suzlon 2.0 roadmap represents a structural transformation rather than a simple diversification into adjacent businesses. Earlier, Suzlon’s offerings were largely limited to wind technology. Under the new strategy, the company intends to expand its technology stack to include solar, battery storage and energy management systems while simultaneously extending its presence across the entire renewable energy value chain—from project development and equipment supply to project execution and asset management.
The company also plans to expand geographically beyond India into Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South America as part of its global renewable solutions strategy.
Suzlon argues that the renewable energy market itself is changing. According to its Investor Day presentation, “dispatchability”—the ability to deliver electricity when it is needed—is replacing the simple pursuit of the lowest generation cost. The company contends that wind’s evening generation profile complements daytime solar generation, reducing dependence on storage and lowering overall system costs.
“Wind naturally complements solar through stronger evening generation profile,” while “Wind + Solar + Storage lowers system LCOE by reducing storage and grid requirements,” the presentation states. It also notes that auctions are increasingly rewarding “firm & dispatchable power value, not just generation cost.”
Suzlon further argues that a Solar-Wind-BESS hybrid configuration is better suited for supplying baseload power than standalone Solar+BESS projects, reinforcing its belief that future renewable projects will increasingly rely on integrated solutions.
During the Q1 FY27 earnings call, management clarified that Suzlon’s entry into solar and battery storage is not intended to dilute its focus on wind but rather to strengthen its integrated offering. “Our RE solutions is to enable us to optimize the wind sites in the DevCo model and at the same time, solve the customer’s pain point where he is looking at a complete RE end to end, versus pure wind. And therefore, we are doing BESS and then also solar and hybrid,” Group CEO Ajay Kapoor said.
On the solar front, Kapoor said the company has already identified a sizeable opportunity. “On the solar side, we have identified 20 plus gigawatts serviceable solar asset base, leveraging Suzlon’s extensive field presence and infrastructure within 25-kilometre radius of Suzlon service locations,” he said. Rather than manufacturing solar modules, Suzlon intends to leverage its nationwide O&M network to provide long-term solar asset management services.
Kapoor confirmed that Suzlon is in discussions with multiple technology partners and aims to build a 3.1 GW BESS business by FY31, while the company’s R&D team has already developed hybrid controllers capable of integrating wind, solar and storage into a single platform.
The integration strategy extends beyond technology. Suzlon is also expanding its Development Company (DevCo) model, under which it acquires land, secures transmission connectivity and prepares projects before offering them to customers. The Investor Day presentation describes the objective as achieving “End-to-end pipeline ownership,” while management said during the earnings call that around 60% of new orders are now coming through the DevCo model.
By controlling project development as well as equipment and long-term servicing, Suzlon aims to reduce execution uncertainty—a key bottleneck that it believes is limiting the pace of India’s wind installations.
The integration strategy comes as Suzlon continues to strengthen its core wind business. The company delivered a record 506 MW during Q1 FY27, its highest-ever first-quarter deliveries, despite geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East delaying 10-20% of shipments. It ended the quarter with a healthy 6.1 GW order book and is preparing to re-enter international markets with its new S175 and S163 turbine platforms.
At the same time, Suzlon has set ambitious FY31 targets under Suzlon 2.0, including maintaining more than 40% share of India’s wind EPC market, generating over 60% of business through its co-development model, securing more than 3 GW of export order intake, and expanding its renewable asset management portfolio beyond 70 GW.
Whether Suzlon succeeds in becoming India’s first OEM to truly own renewable integration risk remains to be seen. However, the company’s strategy signals a broader shift in India’s renewable energy market—from selling individual technologies to delivering integrated renewable energy systems under a single point of accountability. For developers increasingly pursuing firm and dispatchable renewable power, that proposition could become as important as the turbines themselves.
We are India’s leading B2B media house, reporting full-time on solar energy, wind, battery storage, solar inverters, and electric vehicle (EV)
Quick Links
© 2025 Saur Energy. All Rights Reserved.
