India’s industrial pivot to clean energy
Reliance Industries has taken a major step forward in its green transition. On July 21, 2025, the company revealed it is accelerating its $10 billion investment in renewable energy by building vast gigafactories in Gujarat. These plants, which will manufacture solar modules and energy storage systems, will span 44 million square feet—four times the size of Tesla’s Nevada facility.
This bold move signals a transformative shift in India’s industrial strategy. The green-energy business is expected to rival Reliance’s oil-to-chemical profits within the next five to seven years, reinforcing the conglomerate’s push into future-ready infrastructure.
From hydrocarbons to clean power
Reliance Industries, one of India’s largest companies by revenue, has long been dominated by its oil refining and petrochemicals businesses. However, over the last five years, the company has signaled a shift. Its chairman Mukesh Ambani had pledged in 2021 to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.
To support this ambition, the group launched Reliance New Energy Ltd (RNEL), aiming to localize solar panel production and battery storage. The goal was not only sustainability but also supply-chain independence, especially after India’s increased focus on energy security and reduced import reliance.
Moreover, Gujarat—home to Reliance’s original Jamnagar refinery—has become the testing ground for this transition. The upcoming Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex is at the center of this transformation.
Scale, verticals, and market impact
Reliance’s green-energy expansion is structured around four integrated gigafactories: for solar photovoltaic modules, advanced battery storage, green hydrogen electrolyzers, and fuel cell systems. Each vertical is critical to the broader clean-tech ecosystem.
The size and scale are staggering. The facilities will cover over 44 million square feet, making them among the largest in Asia. As a result, Reliance will become one of the world’s most vertically integrated green-energy producers, from manufacturing to distribution.
The solar and storage gigafactories are expected to begin operations by 2026. According to Reliance, early production could generate up to 100 GW of solar energy annually and deploy battery systems capable of 50 GWh of storage.
Meanwhile, green hydrogen, once seen as a futuristic energy source, is now a strategic priority. Reliance plans to reduce hydrogen production costs to under $1/kg through scale and proprietary electrolyzer tech. You can explore their official green energy roadmap for further insights.
Asia’s clean-tech momentum
Reliance’s commitment adds weight to a broader regional trend. Asia is fast becoming the epicenter of clean-tech manufacturing and deployment. From China’s dominance in solar panel exports to Southeast Asia’s EV battery supply chains, there’s clear momentum.
India’s policy support has also accelerated this shift. Through its Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, the government offers significant subsidies for domestic solar and storage manufacturing. Moreover, the Green Hydrogen Mission aims to make India a global hub for hydrogen production and export.
What sets Reliance apart is its ability to fuse industrial ambition with ecosystem creation. The company’s parallel investments in supply chain logistics, AI-based energy monitoring, and partnerships with global clean-tech firms underscore this.
In fact, as India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy continues to set aggressive renewable targets, Reliance is positioning itself not just as a participant, but as an anchor for future global collaboration.
A transformative bet on sustainable infrastructure
The future of Reliance’s green-energy expansion lies in how fast it can scale up and integrate clean power into the broader Indian economy. The company expects its renewables arm to achieve profit parity with its petrochemicals division in as little as five years.
More importantly, this shift could make India a manufacturing and export leader in clean-tech—boosting jobs, reducing carbon footprint, and attracting foreign capital. If successful, it will elevate Reliance’s role from an energy conglomerate to a climate-forward infrastructure leader.
Moreover, this strategy may encourage other industrial giants across Asia to diversify into clean infrastructure. As markets evolve and global climate targets tighten, Reliance’s bold early bet may prove a blueprint for corporate transformation across emerging markets.
