The Rs 8,500 crore Amara Raja Group, that runs the second-largest lead-acid battery brand Amaron in the country (after Exide), says that the demand signals for electric mobility are becoming more definitive. “In the long run, it is critical to create a domestic capability across the entire value chain. We are keenly engaged in creating India centric eco-system for the design, development, and manufacturing of advanced cell technologies,” Vijayanand Samudrala, President- New Energy, Amara Raja Batteries Ltd said.
Amara Raja Group’s New Energy Business unit will be the new growth engine, he said. Last year, the company repositioned itself as an “energy and mobility” player in the industry as it seeks to expand its portfolio to cater to electric vehicle (EV) demand and other home energy solutions. Amara Raja’s strategy of “future-proofing” the business includes expanding the core lead acid batteries business inclusing lithium cell and battery pack, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, energy storage systems, etc.
“We have invested in a state[1]of-the-art R&D facility to develop advanced cell chemistry batteries for electric mobility and stationary energy storage applications. Amara Raja has charted out a road map to invest into Giga factories for manufacturing Li cells and offer battery pack and EV charging solutions for the fast-emerging electric vehicle sector, renewable energy markets, and energy storage systems,” the company said.
“New age energy storage technologies and manufacturing landscape in India is coming of age and is expected to gain pace in the coming years, thanks to proactive policy drive from the Central and State Governments,” Samudrala said.
The company is using multiple technology choices available to choose from for cell chemistry and form factors such as NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt), LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate), LTO (lithium-titanium-oxide), etc. in cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch form factors. “Amara Raja is focusing on developing NMC and LFP chemistries for the Indian market. In addition to offering its battery packs to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVS), the company offers battery packs for various other niche applications,” Samudrala said.
It developed the HV Li-Ion Battery pack for e-Mobility application, active liquid cooling system, etc. with IoT features. In addition, the company has also invested in promising technology start-ups in the Li-ion technology space and is continuing to explore opportunities to develop globally competitive technology and manufacturing infrastructure as part of the Giga factory investments.
