India

Cabinet Endorses ₹25,473 Crore Package to Boost Energy Storage, Mineral Processing, Courts and Statistics

By Priyanka Sharma

New Delhi – On Wednesday, the Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a package of schemes totaling ₹25,473 crore. The package is aimed at enhancing renewable energy storage, strengthening critical mineral supply chains, expediting trials in sexual offence cases, and modernising India’s statistical ecosystem.

The cabinet also extended the ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers recruited under the Agnipath scheme for an additional two years.

Viability Gap Funding for Energy Storage The cabinet sanctioned a viability gap funding (VGF) scheme with an outlay of ₹14,500 crore for grid‑scale energy storage systems for the fiscal years 2027‑28 to 2030‑31. The scheme will add 92 gigawatt‑hours (GWh) of storage capacity to the national grid, comprising 60 GWh of pumped storage projects (PSP), 30 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and 2 GWh from emerging storage technologies. The government said the scheme will de‑risk financing, lower the levelised cost of clean storage, reduce renewable curtailment and provide round‑the‑clock power during peak consumption.

Critical Mineral Processing Support A capital expenditure support scheme for critical mineral processing has been approved with a five‑year outlay of ₹2,814 crore for FY27‑31. The scheme will provide capital subsidies on eligible investments to encourage private sector participation and lower capital hurdles for processing units, mainly for lithium and nickel. The government said the initiative will build domestic processing and refining capacity, support value addition, reduce import dependence and create a resilient value chain for electric vehicles, batteries and advanced manufacturing.

The scheme is expected to address the capital intensity and long gestation periods that have deterred Indian companies from entering the space. Prassann Daphal, CEO of Evergreen Recyclekaro India Ltd, said the scheme could bridge the gap and encourage investments, technology partnerships and collaborative ventures. Nitin Gupta, co‑founder and CEO of Attero, added that the focus on lithium and nickel processing could spur private investment, support technology development and lay the foundation for domestic value addition.

Fast‑Track Special Courts for Sexual Offences The cabinet extended the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive courts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, for five years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031. The scheme, with an outlay of ₹3,788.04 crore, will expand the network of 779 functional courts (including 399 exclusive POCSO courts) to 850 courts across 29 states and union territories. Each court will have a dedicated judicial officer, special public prosecutor and six support staff to expedite case disposal. The scheme prioritises cases involving women and children and will provide vulnerable witness deposition centres and child‑friendly court spaces.

Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research (VISTAR) To modernise India’s official data collection and analytics frameworks, the cabinet approved VISTAR with an outlay of ₹4,371.10 crore for FY27‑31. The scheme has three components: strengthening statistical operations and the broader statistical ecosystem, supporting statistical capacity‑building in states and conducting a nationwide Economic Census. The government said the scheme will establish a dynamic, real‑time, future‑ready official statistical architecture, enhance data timeliness, provide deeper granularity, harmonise datasets and generate AI‑ready statistical repositories for public policymaking.

Second Tour of Duty for Agniveers The cabinet also approved a two‑year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under the Agnipath recruitment scheme. Eligible and willing Agniveers may serve an additional two years, subject to selection criteria, before being considered for enrolment as regular soldiers after completing their four‑ or six‑year tenure. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the decision continues structural reforms aimed at creating a younger, fitter, technologically equipped and future‑ready military to meet the changing character of warfare.

Priyanka Sharma is a journalist at Mint, covering the Union Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. She has 12 years of experience in journalism, a journalism degree from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and specialised training in public health from the Public Health Foundation of India. Prior to Mint, she worked with India Today, The Pioneer and ANI, and served as a lead consultant for the National Health Authority. She is based in New Delhi and enjoys travelling to the mountains and exploring South Indian cuisine.