Conversation Highlights:
-Log9 Materials is now focused on building the leading deep-tech and advanced battery and energy storage technology company out of India.
-Log9 has recently inaugurated India’s first indigenously developed battery cell manufacturing line and launched its made-in-India TiB cells.
-Log9’s InstaCharged RapidEVs are meticulously engineered to perform at the highest level in all types of extreme climatic conditions and across all kinds of terrains found on the Indian subcontinent.
How has been Log9’s journey so far? What are the products and innovations making Log9 the pioneer?
Log9 Materials was founded in 2015; it was initially incubated at IIT Roorkee’s TIDES. We started off as a materials science company with a focus on nanomaterials and Graphene in particular. Log9 initially was started with the vision to lead the Graphene revolution by introducing real-life products – starting from India and spreading to the world. We also zeroed down to dedicatedly building products in the energy sector and are now focused on building the leading deep-tech and advanced battery and energy storage technology company out of India.
Today, Log9’s products primarily cater to the e-mobility space, and we have many pioneering feathers to our cap. Log9 has also amassed over 50+ industry-defining patents as of date. We are at the forefront of redefining the EV industry’s standards in the fight against climate change, by offering batteries that can be charged 9x faster, can last 9x longer, and offer 9x higher performance and safety. Furthermore, Log9 is the only Indian company today that holds in-house competencies ranging from electrode materials to cell fabrication to battery packs. With an aim to make India self-reliant in meeting its own electric mobility and EV transformation goals while reducing foreign dependency, Log9 has recently inaugurated India’s first indigenously developed battery cell manufacturing line and launched its made-in-India TiB cells. Log9’s sole purpose and mission are to Pioneer Responsible Energy, and hence, we are dedicatedly working towards realizing this by creating Log9’s responsible energy solutions that come without compromises or caveats, when it comes to protecting the environment and the Planet’s well-being.
You emphasize the 3Ps – Power, Performance, and Peace of Mind. How do you define them?
We at Log9, believe in catering to our customers through 3 pillars, which are – POWER, PERFORMANCE, and PEACE OF MIND. Therefore, this has aptly become our brand tagline too.
While using an EV powered by Log9’s batteries, we guarantee that it will be nothing but the best, from the rapid pace at which it charges, to the basics such as handling and performance. Furthermore, these Log9 InstaCharged EVs would have no compromises on the power and performance aspects as compared to ICE vehicles, as Log9’s InstaCharged RapidEVs are meticulously engineered to perform at the highest level in all types of extreme climatic conditions and across all kinds of terrains found on the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, in this way, Log9 is ensuring optimal ‘Power’ and ‘Performance’ like no other player in the market today.
On the other hand, when a customer chooses a Log9-powered EV, they can be sure that it comes with unquestionable dependability, and entirely worry-free ownership with the longest warranty periods, thus paving the way for complete ‘Peace of Mind’ of the owner/customer.
Now on every other day we are hearing about batteries catching fire. What’s your take on this? Where things are going wrong?
Have we ever thought if the EVs sold in India were designed for our climatic and operating conditions? The one thing that nobody is doing is making cells in India. We are the only Indian company today that is developing cell technology in India. When you don’t have your own cell, you are dependent on some other country to procure it. And when we’re procuring, are we making the right choices? What parameters are you guided by, is the key question here. Many Indian companies have included NMC-based cell chemistry as the chemistry of choice for their products, which is extremely sensitive to temperature. We at Log9 believe that such incidents of EV fires/mishaps would become more common unless we develop ground-up battery technologies suitable for Indian conditions and vehicle types. In my view, Indian companies in the EV space should going forward, not compromise in terms of safety and reliability for anything else.
As of today, most Indian companies import Li-Ion cells and make battery packs out of them. Additionally, the major challenge that India is facing is the price sensitivity of its battery packs; hence the choice of cells being imported in India are mainly NMC cells which are cheaper but come with a risk of becoming thermally unstable under hot weather conditions. To overcome these issues, Indian battery companies and EV companies must select the right cell chemistry that is more suited to Indian weather and drive conditions. Moreover, battery and EV companies need to work on developing cooling technologies that can ensure that batteries are able to perform the function without heating up. Whereas the really impactful, long-term solution is for India to make cells in India, with chemistries and materials that are more suited for Indian conditions. We at Log9 are already moving ahead on this path by creating India’s first Li-ion cells named ‘TiB’ cells, that can withstand extreme temperatures of Indian and tropical climatic conditions.
You have recently unveiled the country’s first indigenously-developed cell manufacturing facility at your Jakkuru campus and set a perfect example of working towards the Make In India Mission. How will you define the Make In India Mission? And what impact will it have in the long run?
At a time when majority of the cells and batteries used in India’s electric vehicles are being imported from other countries, Log9 unveiling the country’s first indigenously-developed cell manufacturing facility at its Jakkuru is a milestone that added a new lease of life for the country’s mobility vision to turn to electric significantly by 2030. More so, it is a perfect example of working toward the Government’s Atmanirbhar mission and represents a giant leap forward in empowering India with all the flexibility and scale that would be required to give the country the right impetus for ushering its EV-led future.
This milestone achievement by Log9 also puts India on the global map of deep-tech organizations, which shall further pave the way for the new-generation Indian startups to rise and shine in the deep-technology arena. Needless to say, we strongly believe that Log9’s cells made in India, for India are going to play a crucial role in making India self-reliant while helping the nation realize its ambitious electric mobility vision for the near future. Log9 believes in taking action over just saying empty words, and we have taken the first baby step of setting up a commercial cell line so that it can act as the DNA of the country’s sustainable future in the times to come and provide support to India’s EV transformation story. With this facility, we are aiming to achieve at least 50MWh of peak cell production capacity in the next year, and then they would be scaling to over 5GWh in the next 3-5 years.
What keeps you motivated, better innovations, or business growth?
Our brand’s cornerstone is its purpose which says “Log9 is about paving a new path, branching away from humanity’s tryst with self-destruction, and fighting climate change with sustainable energy.” Log9’s vision later sprouted from the same purpose that says “To be the most respected brand in the clean mobility and energy sectors across all tropical countries by 2030.”
It is this pursuit that has always kept Log9 ahead of the industry, and our deep-rooted commitment to put India on the global deep-tech map has ensured our innovations redefine the Indian energy sector. Couple our fight against climate change with our pursuit to push boundaries on innovation, and so we have the perfect recipe for our business growth.
In terms of ease of doing business, how would you summarize your startup experience?
Our journey over the past 7 years has been nothing short of ups and downs. Come to have an overarching view on the ecosystem, while the decision makers at the top are sure-shot visionaries and while the policies drafted have been with a view to putting India on the Fastrack, the execution at the ground-level does not keep pace with all credits to the misalignment with overarching goal and bureaucracy. The sheer number of startups and further the number of unicorns that have come up is a clear indication of the amount of potential the country holds, but the ecosystem definitely needs to be proactive, agile, and welcoming.