Power system protection has evolved over decades. A step change occurred when communication aspects were introduced as part of IEC 61850 during the late nineties. Renewable energy penetration into power network especially into high voltage levels has been yet another big step. Protection engineers are facing challenges with traditional relay algorithms and the way relays are set in the substation. The primary reason could be attributed to the characteristics of renewable source which differ from the characteristics of traditional grid in many ways. Studies and field analysis are on-going, and engineers are continuously striving to optimize relay design, practices, as well as settings considering the aspects related to inverter design. The detection of directionality in distance relay and response for various type of system faults is a key area to be considered. The objective of this paper is to analyze the performance of directional elements in a distance protection for a DER (Distributed Energy Resource) connected system in India. In addition, the aim is to understand the gaps from existing research to the behaviors of the current directional protections which would help in identifying mechanisms to ascertain directionality for similar systems in the future.