The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India has approved detailed project reports for two significant hydro pumped storage plants, the 600 MW Upper Indravati in Odisha and the 2,000 MW Sharavathy in Karnataka, in a move to enhance energy security. This swift approval is part of the government's initiative to streamline processes in line with its ease of doing business drive, which includes revised guidelines for the preparation and concurrence of detailed project reports (DPRs). The CEA is currently processing around 60 GW of proposals for hydro pumped storage projects, with several developers at different stages of DPR preparation. Key changes in the guidelines include a shortened checklist of required documents, allowing online submission of initial chapters, and eliminating the mandatory approval for cost and financial chapters. This is expected to significantly reduce the approval timeline by up to five months. The government aims to boost the installed capacity of energy storage systems to 74 GW by 2031-32 to meet future energy demands.