The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) organized an International Summit on Lithium-Ion Batteries at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, to explore opportunities and address challenges in India’s rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery market. Over 300 industry leaders participated, discussing advancements in research and development, innovation, manufacturing, supply chains, raw materials, and recycling. Topics such as stationary energy storage, electric mobility, and second-life applications were also covered.
Shri Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, addressed the summit via video conference and announced plans for a 10-gigawatt Request for Proposal (RFP) for grid-scale energy storage systems in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and NITI Aayog. He emphasized the government’s mission to scale domestic manufacturing of advanced chemistry cells (ACC) to reduce reliance on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and meet India’s target of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.
“The Ministry of Heavy Industry is leading the way in the indigenization of chemistry cell manufacturing, a critical component of our electric vehicle (EV) initiative,” Shri Mittal said. He further added that the government has allocated over 40 gigawatt-hours (GWh) out of 50 GWh to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for domestic ACC production under the ACC-PLI scheme.
Debi Prasad Dash, President of IESA, highlighted the significance of the lithium-ion battery industry in India’s clean energy transition, stating, “This summit will help create a roadmap for the country’s sustainable energy goals. With the increasing demand and technological advancements, this is the right time to scale lithium-ion battery manufacturing in India.”
India is expected to see a cumulative demand of 600 to 900 GWh of lithium batteries by 2032. The industry will need to increase investments fivefold over the next five years to meet this growing demand.
Dr. Rahul Walwalker, Chairman of IESA, also noted the global shift in lithium-ion battery manufacturing from China, projecting that between 1,000 to 1,500 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity will be established outside of China within the next decade. He emphasized India’s potential to capture up to 2,500 GWh of global supply chain demand, with a vision to scale up to 550 GWh of cell manufacturing by 2035.
In FY 2023, India imported lithium-ion batteries worth $3.59 billion, with key suppliers being China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The country is home to over 100 lithium battery pack manufacturers, serving sectors such as electric vehicles, power electronics, and stationary storage.
