India’s battery industry is entering a critical phase as demand for energy storage is expected to rise sharply alongside electric mobility, renewable power and AI-driven data-centre infrastructure. With the country still dependent on imported battery cells and critical materials, the development of safer, more locally sourced battery technologies could become an important part of India’s next manufacturing wave.
In the latest episode of People by WTF, Nikhil Kamath speaks with Henning Rath, CEO of EnerVenue, and Kun Tang, Executive Chairman of HiNa Battery, to examine emerging battery chemistries, manufacturing economics and India’s opportunity to build a more independent energy-storage ecosystem.
LFP Batteries Face Growing Safety Scrutiny
Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries currently dominate many electric-vehicle applications because of their cost, performance and relatively strong safety characteristics compared with some other lithium-ion chemistries. However, battery fires remain a significant concern.
During the discussion, Rath explains the phenomenon of thermal runaway, in which a battery’s internal reaction accelerates uncontrollably after reaching a critical temperature. Tang highlights the importance of manufacturing quality, noting that safety incidents can be particularly problematic among smaller battery manufacturers.
The conversation also underlines a broader challenge: as battery energy density increases, manufacturers must simultaneously improve cell design, quality control, thermal management and production standards.
Sodium-Ion Batteries Emerge as a Potential Alternative
One of the key technologies discussed is sodium-ion battery technology, which could reduce dependence on lithium and other strategically important materials.
Tang explains that sodium-ion batteries use more widely available materials such as sodium, iron and phosphate. Their lower energy density compared with lithium-ion technology currently limits their suitability for some long-range EV applications, but they could have significant potential in stationary energy storage, scooters and three-wheelers.
HiNa Battery has supplied what it describes as the world’s first 100 MWh sodium-ion energy-storage project, demonstrating the technology’s potential beyond laboratory development.
For India, the technology could be particularly relevant because domestic availability of raw materials and reduced exposure to global lithium supply chains could strengthen energy security.
Nickel-Hydrogen Technology Targets Safer Grid Storage
EnerVenue is pursuing a different approach with nickel-hydrogen battery technology, adapted from technology originally developed for NASA applications.
The technology uses a water-based electrolyte and is designed for stationary energy storage, with a focus on safety and long operating life. According to the discussion, the technology is rated for up to 30,000 charge cycles, making durability a key part of its value proposition.
Unlike sodium-ion technology, however, nickel-hydrogen batteries are currently focused primarily on stationary applications rather than electric vehicles.
Solid-State Batteries Still Face Commercialisation Challenges
Solid-state batteries are frequently described as the next major evolution in lithium-based energy storage. However, both guests expressed caution regarding the technology’s readiness for mass commercial deployment.
Tang reportedly places solid-state technology at approximately technology readiness level four on a nine-level scale, suggesting that while research progress is significant, large-scale commercial manufacturing remains some distance away.
The discussion reinforces the idea that the future battery market is unlikely to be dominated by a single chemistry.
“No single technology will solve our problem.”
Instead, different battery technologies could serve different applications depending on requirements such as energy density, safety, cost, cycle life and availability of raw materials.
India’s Opportunity in Battery Manufacturing
The discussion becomes particularly relevant to India when Kamath explores the possibility of entering the energy-transition sector himself.
Rather than building another electric-car company, Rath suggests that India could have a stronger opportunity in battery manufacturing, particularly in applications where energy density is less critical.
India’s enormous two-wheeler and three-wheeler market could provide an initial customer base for sodium-ion technology, while stationary storage could become another major opportunity as renewable energy deployment expands.
India’s lithium-ion battery demand is expected to rise substantially by 2030, creating a significant manufacturing opportunity. At the same time, reducing dependence on imported cells, minerals and components will be crucial if India wants to establish a globally competitive battery ecosystem.
Batteries, Renewable Energy and AI Could Form a New Manufacturing Cycle
The conversation also connects battery technology with three broader trends: electrification, manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
India’s expansion of renewable power will require increasingly sophisticated energy-storage systems to manage intermittency. Meanwhile, AI data centres are creating new electricity demand and increasing the importance of reliable backup and grid-scale storage.
The shift away from diesel-based backup systems toward battery storage could therefore create another large market for advanced energy-storage technologies.
For India, the challenge will be to develop not only battery assembly capacity but also cell chemistry, materials, manufacturing expertise, recycling infrastructure and intellectual property.
A Multi-Chemistry Future for Energy Storage
The discussion suggests that the next phase of the global battery industry will not necessarily be a race to find one universal replacement for lithium-ion technology.
Instead, sodium-ion, nickel-hydrogen, lithium-based chemistries and eventually solid-state batteries could coexist, each serving different applications.
For India, this creates an opportunity to develop technologies suited to its own market requirements while reducing exposure to concentrated global supply chains.
As electrification, renewable energy and AI infrastructure accelerate, battery technology is increasingly becoming a strategic manufacturing capability rather than simply an EV component.
The People by WTF episode featuring Nikhil Kamath, Henning Rath and Kun Tang is now available on YouTube.