Amara Raja Batteries Limited, a leading battery manufacturer in India, has laid the foundation stone for a new lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district. The facility, which is expected to be completed by 2024, will have an annual production capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion cells and will require an investment of around Rs 9.5k crore.
The facility will manufacture high-quality lithium-ion cells that can be used for various applications, including electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and consumer electronics. The company has partnered with global technology leader, Leclanché, to use their advanced cell design and manufacturing technology to produce high-performance lithium-ion cells.
The new facility is expected to create more than 18k direct and indirect job opportunities in the region, providing a significant boost to the local economy. It will also help reduce India’s dependence on imported lithium-ion cells and contribute to the country’s efforts to increase domestic manufacturing of advanced energy storage systems.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony Jayadev Galla, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Amara Raja Batteries Limited said – “This new facility will not only help us meet the growing demand for lithium-ion cells in India but also enable us to export these high-quality cells to other countries. Our partnership with Leclanché will allow us to leverage their global expertise and technology to manufacture world-class lithium-ion cells in India.”
Amara Raja Batteries Limited is one of the largest manufacturers of lead-acid batteries for automotive and industrial applications in India. With the new lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility the company aims to diversify its product portfolio and cater to the growing demand for advanced energy storage solutions.
Overall the establishment of the new lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility is a significant step toward the development of a robust and self-reliant energy storage ecosystem in India. The government’s recent announcement of the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme for the battery storage industry is also expected to encourage more companies to invest in the sector and accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources in the country.