KPIT Unveils India’s First Sodium-Ion Battery Technology As Li-Ion Alternative

KPIT Technologies Ltd. has unveiled India’s first indigenous sodium-ion battery technology as an alternative to the much-costlier lithium-ion cells.

Developed over nearly a decade in collaboration with Pune’s Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, the sodium-ion battery is more durable, longer lasting and safer than lithium-ion cells. It even charges faster with high thermal resistance. With an energy density of 100-170 watt-hour per kg, the technology is catching up with lithium batteries.

In the development stage, the technology was tested internally in a smaller group. Now, it will be put to external testing and start to deliver revenue after a year, Ravi Pandit, chairman of KPIT Technologies, said on the sidelines of the launch event in Pune on Tuesday. Some revenue will come from the testing phase, but the core licensing fees will start in a year.

According to Pandit, the sodium-ion battery is cost-effective for last-mile connectivity as it gets fully charged in less than half an hour, thus allowing delivery executives to do more trips in a day. The battery itself is about 30% cheaper than current alternatives.

Pandit refused to comment on R&D spending for the battery.

To be sure, KPIT isn’t the first Indian company to foray into sodium-ion technology. Reliance Industries Ltd. had in 2022 acquired the U.K.-based Faradion, one of the only four companies globally that can build a sodium-ion battery from scratch.

Pandit expects that the proliferation of sodium-ion batteries will reduce reliance on Li-ion imports. Battery manufacturing can also qualify for a Production-Linked Incentive scheme—there is a proposal to give a 40% subsidy on investments in developing and manufacturing batteries using novel chemistries.

On Tuesday, KPIT Technologies’ shares fell 2.08% to Rs 1,432.75 apiece on the BSE, even as the benchmark Sensex ended the day 0.54% lower at 69,551.03 points.